Filipinos are all about basketball, turning streets and alleyways into makeshift courts. They are also big into boxing, often viewing it as a ticket out of poverty. But Filipino speedster Bianca Bustamante is out to prove that Pinoys can excel even in a sport traditionally associated with the rich.
In an interview with BBC Sports, Bianca revealed that one of her goals in her budding career as the first female driver in the McLaren Driver Development Program is to challenge the notion that money dictates success in racing.
“Everyone knows that racing is reserved for people with money and it often has been. That’s really what I’m racing for,” said Bianca. “It’s to show that it doesn’t really matter where you come from, even if you’re from across the other part of the world, in a little small town in the Philippines, you’re still able to make it,” she added.
But aside from proudly carrying her flag, Bianca is burning rubber to break barriers and pave the way for more women to join Formula 1.
“I love to see the paddock grow with a lot more women in it. Like female engineers, female strategists, female mechanics. We really are showing that it’s no longer a man’s world and it’s beautiful to see,” said the 19-year-old Laguna native.
With her eyes set on the checkered flag, Bianca is set to make her dreams a reality. “My end goal is still to be in Formula 1. Let’s keep dreaming, keep pushing. The sky is the limit for us,” she said.
