Bustamante is the only Asian driver selected for the second edition of the FIA Girls on Track - Rising Stars Scholarship Shoot-out
Bustamante to travel to France in October to take part in the first segment of the competition
FIA Women in Motorsport leads the global talent detection and nurturing programme
Bianca Bustamante, a 16 year-old race driver from the Philippines, has been selected to participate in the FIA Girls on Track - Rising Stars Youth Scholarship Shoot-Out in 2021. The up-and-coming young talent is one of 14 selected from over 70 applications around the world, to take part in the shoot-out, and is the only Asian driver chosen by the FIA.
This youth scholarship was launched by the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission in 2020 to promote more young women in motorsport. The scholarship was set up by F1 governing body FIA in conjunction with Scuderia Ferrari’s world renowned Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA), which has produced star drivers like Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Haas rookie Mick Schumacher among others.
The shoot-out is the first challenge for scholarship hopefuls, with the test being held at the famous Paul Ricard Circuit between 21st and 23rd of October this year. In this 3-day shoot-out, Bustamante and 13 other girls will conduct various race tests at the circuit, with the best 8 performing drivers to be selected to attend FIA training camps. From there, they will head to Fiorano, Italy for final tests in Formula 4 cars. The winner will be recruited into the FDA with full race scholarships.
Bianca Bustamante: Gearing Up Since 5 Years Old
Bianca Bustamante has been making immense strides ever since she started racing at the tender age of 5. She has established herself as an up and coming driver having won multiple karting championships across Asia, and is now looking to make the move to professional Formula Racing and elevate her racing career to the next level.
She already has an imposing list of accomplishments under her belt, having repeatedly outperformed older and more experienced drivers on the track. Notable achievements include:
4-time Winner of the China Grand Prix Kart Scholarship (2018-2019)
3-time Macau International Kart GP Champion (2014, 2018, 2019)
2-time Junior Asian Karting Open Championship - Overall Champion (2018, 2019)
3-time Philippines Driver of the Year - Karting (2018, 2019, 2020)
Philippines National Junior Karter of the Year (2018)
"Thank you to the FIA for selecting me as one of the 14 drivers for the Girls On Track - Rising Stars scholarship shoot-out. I fell in love with racing ever since I was a kid, and I haven’t stopped training in preparation for this moment. Now that it’s becoming a reality, I will continue to work hard towards being selected for the Ferrari Driving Academy race scholarship. I am so proud to represent the Philippines in this competition and to be the only Asian driver selected is an added bonus, but also adds a bit of pressure to represent the Asia region against the global field. I will continue to train hard leading up to the event and do my best in France!"
Bianca Bustamante
