McLaren Development Driver and F1 Academy race winner Bianca Bustamante will return behind the wheel of a F4 car this weekend, as she is set to join the British Formula 4 grid in a Hitech Grand Prix entry at Zandvoort, Netherlands.
McLaren Development Driver and F1 Academy race winner Bianca Bustamante will return behind the wheel of a F4 car this weekend, as she is set to join the British Formula 4 grid in a Hitech Grand Prix entry at Zandvoort, Netherlands.
Bustamante currently sits fifth in the 2024 F1 Academy drivers' standings, with a second place to her name as best finish of the season after collecting her first wins in single seaters last year. Having joined the McLaren junior programme in 2024, the Filipina star continues to make big steps forward in her racing career and will tackle for the first time a round of the highly-competitive British Formula 4 championship, which is hosting its first round beyond UK borders.
The race meeting at Circuit Zandvoort will therefore be the perfect opportunity for Bustamante and some of her F1 Academy colleagues to prepare for the Dutch round of the all-female series next month.
“I’m looking forward to racing in the ROKiT F4 British Championship for the first time!", Bianca commented. "Though I raced at Circuit Zandvoort last year, it will be my first time in the championship where the level of competition is intense and will have some of the best male and female driver’s from around the globe."
Bianca will be the seventh female racer on the grid, joining fellow F1 Academy racers Carrie Schreiner and Jessica Edgar - both in Chris Dittmann Racing entries - Abbi Pulling, as well as Chloe Chong, Ella Lloyd and Nina Gademan, in one of the most competitive fields in Formula 4 competitions worldwide.
While it will be yet another big step up, Bianca is not new to challenging herself in high-level mixed-gender junior series: she in fact entered a round of the Italian Formula 4 at Spa Francorchamps in 2023, as well as the F4 race of the Macau Grand Prix at the end of last year - and is aiming to continue her development as a racing driver with the support of top team Hitech Grand Prix, currently in the lead of the teams' championship.
This opportunity has been made possible through Bustamante’s longtime sponsor Lance East Exotics, and with the support of McLaren Driver Development and CBR Media.
Track time is another valuable factor in the British-based series, as the drivers will have a significant amount of testing, one qualifying session and three races.
"As always, qualifying will be a key component to a successful race weekend so I will work hard in the practice sessions to get acquainted with both my team and the car", Bianca added. "Big thank you to my team Hitech Grand Prix for their guidance, as well as to McLaren for all their support!“
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