Bianca Bustamante battles technical issues in 2nd Formula Winter Series leg
Filipino American racer Bianca Bustamante | PHOTO: @racerbia/Instagram
Filipino American racer Bianca Bustamante admitted that despite her “will to fight” for the second round of the Formula Winter Series in Valencia, the weekend race tested her “tenacity” as a driver.
The McLaren driver, who entered the weekend with a determined spirit after her maiden appearance at the Circuito de Jerez where she settled at P35, encountered a setback during Thursday’s testing session when her team discovered a 5kph engine power loss.
Despite the best efforts of her crew to rectify the issue, the car failed to reach optimal speed, placing additional pressure on the Fil-Am athlete to perform, leading to a limited green-flag running in heavily disrupted races and a canceled qualifying.
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Undeterred by the setback, she focused on maximizing her performance within the constraints of the car, emphasizing cornering techniques and pushing the vehicle to its limits.
Acknowledging the competitive field of 39 cars, Bustamante expressed on Instagram satisfaction with her ability to maintain pace within the top 20, albeit not meeting her desired position.
“I’m pretty happy as we were able to stay within P20 on pace out of the 39 car field, which is not where we want to be but I did my best to make the most out of the situation,” she remarked.
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Throughout the races, the Laguna native also faced challenges, particularly on the straights, where she struggled to defend her position against faster competitors. Notwithstanding this, she viewed the experience as an opportunity to enhance her racecraft and decision-making skills.
“I had a really good start in race 2 and we were up to P16, but unfortunately, my race ended soon after as a driver dove in on me, hitting me into the gravel,” she recounted.
In the face of adversity, the 19-year-old racing prodigy expressed gratitude to her team and emerged from the weekend with renewed determination, recognizing the experience as integral to her growth as a driver.
“Highs and lows, we go through it all together as a team,” she affirmed. “Thank you so much for the support, let’s keep pushing!”
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Bustamante is now in Jeddah to participate in the F1 Academy collective test, preparing for the season opener on March 8-9.
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