Racing

Bianca Bustamante finishes P2 at F1 Academy Miami Race 2

May 7, 2024 by Tara S

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.

CATARINA MACARIO, CHLOE KIM AND MORE: 20 FEMALE ATHLETES TO KNOW IN 2022

December 21, 2021 by Tara S

As 2021 comes to an end, it’s time to look forward to the year ahead in sports.

With the Winter Olympics in February, March Madness on the calendar and a landmark NWSL season to come, women’s sports fans are in store for an exciting year.

Here are the 20 athletes to know or get reacquainted with in 2022:

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THE WOMEN OF PARETTA AUTOSPORT

May 27, 2021 by Tara S

INDY 500

STORY BY ALYSSA ROENIGK, PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH RICE

Roughly 30 laps into Sunday’s 105th running of the Indianapolis 500, driver Simona De Silvestro will pull into pit lane. In the six seconds it takes to refuel her No. 16 Paretta Autosport Chevrolet, her crew will swap out four Firestones, adjust the front wing and attend to the Aeroscreen windshield on her IndyCar. Typically, teams want pits that are flawless, fast and fade into the noise of the race.

But the Paretta team expects to attract attention. Because for the first time in motorsports history, four of its seven over-the-wall pit crew members will be women. De Silvestro’s two spotters will be women. Two of her engineers, including a Data Acquisition Guy, will be women. And every front office role at Paretta Autosport — from business operations to public relations to merchandise and marketing — is filled by a woman.

“It’s important to me that the bigger message is this isn’t women at the expense of men,” says team owner Beth Paretta, whose vision to create a coed race team has been six years in the making. “I’m trying to expand the grid.”

During the team’s first outing at the Indy 500, Paretta hopes young girls see ponytails fly over the wall during pit stops and women engineers communicating from the timing stand. She also wants the novelty to wear off quickly: “My hope is that in five years, us being a team of mostly women is the least interesting thing about us.”

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