Filipino motor-racer Bianca Bustamante has been announced as the second driver for the inaugural season of the F1 Academy. Bustamante, who joined PREMA in the Formula 4 UAE Championship last season, competed in the W Series and was the top-rated rookie in the field. The 18-year-old finished a career-best ninth at the Miami Grand Prix in the W Series.
Bustamante becomes the second driver in the F1 Academy after Swiss racer Léna Bühler was signed by ART Grand Prix.
Bianca Bustamante commented:
“I’m very excited to be joining PREMA for the 2023 season. As a rookie in formula cars, 2022 was a year full of challenges, but today is definitely a big step up in my career. PREMA is one of the most prestigious racing organisations in the world, and I’m incredibly grateful to join their family of drivers. With PREMA, I’m joining a top driver development program both on and off the race track, and most importantly, I will have a rigorous race and test program, giving me the much-needed seat time to perform at my best in competition. Thank you PREMA for bringing me into the program, and Formula 1 for launching this series to support young female drivers. Most importantly, thanks to Laurence Escalante for believing in me and supporting my journey, getting me one step closer to my F1 dreams.“
Rene Rosin, Team Principal, PREMA Racing, added:
“We are happy to announce Bianca for our new F1 Academy programme. We enjoy working together in the F4 UAE Championship and we feel there is great potential we can build on for the future. I think she will be an outstanding fit right from the start, especially considering what she was able to achieve in her first experiences, and we are determined to provide her with our best support.“
The F1 Academy is an all-female driver series and is set to have 15 drivers on the grid, with the likes of ART, Campos Racing, Carlin, MP Motorsport and PREMA Racing all fielding three cars each.
The main goal of the F1 Academy is to develop and grow the young, up-and-coming female drivers and get them ready for the highest level of motorsport. The inaugural season is set to have seven events with three races each, which means a total of 21 races and 15 days of testing.
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