Bustamante heading to Arizona as Asia representative for W Series prospective driver test
Two day Formula 4 test in California to prepare for W Series test
British racing star Richard Lyons to coach Bustamante
16-year old Filipino racing driver Bianca Bustamante will start off 2022 with an incredible opportunity to take part in the W Series pre-season test to be held at Inde Motorsports Ranch in Arizona from 31st January to 4th February. The test will be held in Formula 4 machinery, as the W Series look to familiarize themselves with a new group of drivers and understand what they are capable of. Bustamante is humbled to be invited as the Asia representative to test and learn amongst 14 top young female drivers from around the world. The rising star will be leaving from the Philippines today, as she heads to the USA in preparation for the test. Leading up to the W Series event, Bustamante will also take part in a 2-day test with Doran-Kroll Competition, an F4 U.S. Championship team. The test will be held at Buttonwillow Raceway in California on the 17th and 18th of January. She will be joined by British racing driver, Richard Lyons who will take up the role as her coach for the test. Working alongside a professional team, Bustamante will be able to understand her strengths and weaknesses in the F4 car, making her better prepared for the W series test and her future racing pursuits. The W Series is an all-women open-wheel support series to Formula 1, competing on the same circuits throughout the race calendar. The series is committed to fostering talent among young female racers and providing a platform to bring more women into the grassroots of the sport. This 5-day test marks the start of the W Series 2022 On-Track Programme. Bustamante is excited to take part in the test and eager to showcase her skills later this month. For more information please refer to the official W Series announcement from January 13th.
“I wasn't expecting to have such a big opportunity like this so early in the year; competing in the W Series has always been a dream of mine. We've been working so hard on this my entire life, so it's great to be given a chance to drive in the selection test. I’ll do my best to demonstrate my ability and motivation to have a place in the series be it in 2022 or the future. Most importantly I’ll try to have fun and learn as much as I possibly can from the top-level engineers and mechanics involved with the W series. I’m also thankful to be able to prepare well for the event, by having two days with a top F4 team, Doran-Kroll Competition. To work with them and also be coached by Richard Lyons is more than I could ever ask for. Richard has a long list of accomplishments in his racing career, and he will be a big help to guide me in the transition from karts to formula cars.”
Bianca Bustamante | Racing Driver
“I’d like to thank Dave and the W Series for giving a young driver like Bianca the opportunity to learn and showcase her talent. It’s difficult for young drivers, especially women in motorsport to get opportunities in a male-dominated sport. W series has done an amazing job to give women more visibility and experience on the race track, and I hope Bianca’s involvement can demonstrate to girls in Asia that they too can push themselves onto the global stage of motorsport”
Darryl O'Young | Manager of Bianca Bustamante
