It's been 48 years since a woman last started an F1 race but McLaren's development sensation Bianca Bustamante is confident she can snap the streak and achieve her ultimate dream.
The 19-year-old, born in Manila, Philippines, started her motorsport journey at the age of three, and she was winning go-karting championships by the time she was 10.
Bustamante competed in the W Series in 2022, as well as gaining experience in other championships - but the McLaren driver has seen great success in an all-female F1 Academy, where she has two race wins to her name under the banner of Prema in 2023 and a podium for ART in Miami in 2024, pushing her to fifth in the standings.
Now in the capable hands of one of F1 's juggernauts, McLaren, the sky's the limit for Bustamante, who has unlimited access to the worldly resources and facilities at the team's near-£200 million HQ in Woking. "Honestly, I think I'm very pleased with the progression we made compared to last year," Bustamante exclusively told Mirror Sport in a sit-down interview at McLaren HQ.
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"Personally, I've had a lot of growth mentally, physically. Having the chance to work with McLaren in the development program, I've had access to the amazing facility, working at MTC, training, and, of course, even having a sports psychologist to help me deal with pressure and having that mental stability throughout the race season, which is very, very important.
"So, having all of those amounted to a P2 in Miami, all the hard work we've done off-season with testing, working with my team in ART. So, I think that we're going on the right path. We've made a lot of progression and we've shown it on track as well. So, I think the only way to go is up from here."
Not only will McLaren's resources and facilities be key to the F1 Academy star's growth - but also its family culture. Bustamante can pick the brains of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris most race weekends, with the former stopping for a friendly catch-up at McLaren HQ before Mirror Sport conducted its interview.
Bustamante sat down with Mirror Sport at McLaren HQ (Mirror Sport)"I feel like everyone's so supportive," Bustamante said. "Everyone truly believes that I can make it and they support me on track and off track, giving me the experience and knowledge I need, as well as the support to make it and to be successful, which I think is very pivotal at this time in my career."
Now based in London following her signing with McLaren, Bustamante admits it's hard to maintain relationships as a racing driver, with life on the road away from family and friends having its challenges. But distance makes the heart grow fonder and Bustamante cherishes returning to her beloved Philippines.
"It's difficult," she said. "I think you kind of have to manage relationships, family, friends, all that personal life, all the external factors, which is hard to maintain as a racing driver I would like to say, because of all the travelling and being so far away. But at the same time, I think they all kind of understand the situation I'm in, and they've all been very supportive. So it's been going well.
Bustamante finished p2 in Miami and recorded two F1 Academy wins last season (Getty Images)"It's a nice feeling being back home, surrounded by family and surrounded by people and places that I know," Bustamante continued. "I feel like every time I go to different countries or go to a different track, I'm always greeted by strangers or going to places I don't really know or culture that I'm not really aware of or familiar with. So it's always nice to go back to something that feels like a part of you.
"I think every country is very different. It's nice that the language that's spoken here is English. That helps. So I won't have to learn a new language."
Despite not yet reaching F1, Bustamante has built up a social media presence on par with some of the current grid's stars. Bustamante has millions of followers across all platforms and is a much-recognised face on race weekends by young, adoring fans, whom she makes sure to make time for.
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Bustamante with Lando Norris after his maiden F1 win in Miami (Getty)"Social media is everything now," Bustamante declared. "You can make a career out of it. It's helped me with mine. Having that media help and to help build my brand and get my messaging across. I think it's very important. As long as you use it well, it helps you build your brand and leads you to bigger endorsement deals and branding deals, which obviously helps you race as well with the financial support."
She added: "They [fans] inspire me quite a lot. I really gain a lot of inspiration from the fans whenever I read their messages or whenever they give me so much love and support. I can feel their energy and it's one of the best feelings in the world really.
"I think it's such a pleasure to have been able to experience it in my lifetime. At the same time, I'm glad that I get to somehow make their day by giving them a little bit of my time to sign an autograph or take a photo and all that stuff. It's very important to give back."
Bustamante is part of McLaren's development driver setup (Getty)Bustamante has all the tools to succeed in F1; her talent and work ethic are unquestionable, heading straight to McLaren's gym following her media commitment. An F1 driver one day? That's the goal. But how does Bia Bustamante want to be remembered?
"I just want to be remembered as someone that enjoyed life. I feel like it's too short to be stuck on results or to be stuck on things that are material," she said. "I feel like your achievements should never be linked to your self-worth. I want to be remembered as someone who just loved what she did. It got her this far. It got me to McLaren. It led me here. I think it's going the right way.
"I am enjoying every single moment. I'm doing everything with love and passion. I'm living every emotion 100%. It's an amazing opportunity to be here now and to be here every day. I hope that wherever I am, a few years from now and a few decades from now as well, I will be happy with all the choices I made and I have no regrets."
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