Teen Filipino prodigy in the race for a coveted Ferrari Driving School scholarship

September 10, 2021

A 16-year-old Filipino race car driver was the only Asian woman chosen to participate in the International Automobile Federation (FIA) Girls on Track Rising Stars program in France.

Prestigious program: Bianca Bustamante, who has been racing since she was 5, thanks to her father, is one of 14 drivers in the senior category who will compete in the shootout from Oct. 21-23 at the famous Circuit Paul Richard, CNN reported.

Only eight drivers will advance to attend two-day FIA training camps for karting and F4 racing.
The top four drivers from each training camp in France will take part in a one-week training camp with Ferrari in Fiorano, Italy.
The winner will receive a scholarship at the Ferrari Driving Academy.
“It’s a dream come true. I’ve worked really hard for this,” Bustamante said at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday.

Reigning queen: Bustamante has already accomplished much at a young age, winning four China Grand Prix titles, three in the Macau GP, and two Junior Asian Karting Open Championships.

She has been awarded the Philippine Driver of the Year three times and was recognized as the Philippine National Junior Karter of the Year in 2018.
“Bianca has been preparing for this moment,” her Hong Kong-based manager, Darryl O’Young of Craft Bamboo Racing, said. “This is a short program, that’s why she has to prove herself quickly. She’ll be a great ambassador for the sport.”
Preparing physically and mentally after qualifying for the prestigious program has been tough for Bustamante because of COVID-19 protocols, but that has not stopped her from training at Clark International Circuit in Mabalacat, Philippines.
“It’s a bit difficult,” she admitted, according to ABS-CBN. “But I’ve been preparing really hard. I’ve been training all my life.”

Featured Image via CBR Media

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