Recently receiving her “Papaya Orange” car ahead of the upcoming Formula 1 Academy season, Bianca Bustamante makes a brief pitstop, debuting at the Formula Winter Series come the February 9-11, 2024 race weekend. The 19-year-old Filipina joins GRS Team for the Spanish-based tournament, regulated under the provisions of the FIA Formula 4 format.
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Bustamante’s 2024 debut sees action in the single-seater “Apple Green” challenger, slated with her distinguishable number 16 and the constructor’s main sponsors—Lance East Exotics and CBR Media on its nose cone, and McLaren’s branding along its side panel.
She is scheduled to compete in the tournament’s first three rounds at Circuito de Jerez, MotorLand Aragón, and Circuit Ricardo Tormo, alongside 15-year-old Belgian Douwe Dedecker and another driver who has yet to be announced as of writing.
Distinguishing the Formula Winter Series as a platform to prepare for the second edition of the Formula 1 Academy, the McLaren Development Driver remains ecstatic about what’s ahead, motioning her gratitude to GRS Team for the opportunity.
“I’m looking forward to competing in the Formula Winter Series in Spain! This will mark my debut in this series, where I’ll have the chance to test my skills against some of the top F4 drivers in Europe…I’m very grateful to GRS Team, who have done great work in preparing me for the races during our recent tests,” she mentioned.
CEO and Team Manager Josep Trinidad shared similar sentiments regarding the inclusion of Bustamante to its roster, disclosing “full confidence” in her abilities behind the wheel.
“We are delighted of having Bianca in our Formula Winter Series line-up. The team was aware of her career and huge potential, and the results obtained in the tests she did at GRS confirm that potential,” Trinidad said.
“We are fully confident that we will have a successful season together. On behalf of the team, we thank Bianca and McLaren Racing for their trust,” he added.
