By: Hans Carbonilla – The inquirer
Filipino American and McLaren development driver Bianca Bustamante fought her way from the back of the grid to a points-scoring position despite encountering multiple setbacks during the F1 Academy Miami round, but her fighting spirit brought her to the podium finish at the end of Race 2.
The young racer’s bid for a podium finish in Race 1 was dashed when she fell victim to a late start due to a technical error, dropping her from a promising P4 qualifying result to P16.But the first Filipina driver at McLaren’s tenacity shone through as she clawed her way through the field, eventually breaking into the points territory by lap six of the intense 13-lap race.
In an Instagram post shared by McLaren, they wrote “She never backed down. She never gave up. Great comeback drive to the points, [Racer Bia],” to which the racer herself replied, “We were the fastest car on track. Sorry everyone for the mistake, we’ll fight for the win tomorrow.”
However, her hopes of further advancement were marred by a five-second penalty for cutting a chicane to gain an advantage, relegating her P7 finish to P9 post-penalties.
Nevertheless, her recovery drive from last position to the points-scoring field earned her the accolade of the fastest lap, adding an extra point to her tally. With three points garnered from the race, Bustamante currently sits seventh in the driver standings with a total of 21 points.
Meanwhile, Alpine-sponsored Abbi Pulling, who started on pole, clinched victory in Race 1.
Despite the setbacks faced in Race 1, Bustamante remained undeterred as she tackled Race 2 confidently and strongly, finishing at P2.
She posted a photo with Lando Norris on her social media account, with a caption, “Just absolutely speechless. Such a high.”
“An amazing weekend for the team @mclaren! Our very first @f1academy podium is finally a reality, mega thank you to @artgp_official for an amazing car,” she continued. “They were faultless this weekend, so much more to work and show for the rest of the season. Let’s keep growing.”
With her determination and resilience on full display, all eyes are on Bustamante as she continues her quest for success in the F1 Academy 2024 season.