Filipino race driver, 16-year-old Bianca Bustamante attended the 17th edition of the coveted Golden Wheel Awards over the weekend in the Philippines, where she claimed numerous accolades. The rising star - recently announced as one of the drivers for the FIA Girls on track - Rising Stars Scholarship Shootout - was presented with an impressive 6 awards in recognition of her karting achievements in 2019 and 2020, the latter season shortened due to the pandemic. The Golden Wheel Awards are presented to the highest achievers and upcoming talents in motorsports in the Philippines.
Bianca’s awards include:
2020 X30 Senior Overall Champion
2019 National Senior Karter of the Year
2019 International Junior Karter of the Year
2019 ROK Karter of the Year
2019 ROK GP Senior Overall Champion
2019 X30 Senior Overall 1st Runner-up
The Golden Wheel Award Foundation annually recognizes the top motorsport talent in the Philippines across various racing disciplines. The awards have garnered a reputation as one of the most distinguished honours for racers in the Philippines. Last year’s event was cancelled due to the pandemic, so the foundation decided to honour the awardees of 2019 and 2020 in a combined event that took place at Clark international Circuit on Saturday. Bianca’s awards reflect the stellar rise of her racing journey thus far. Being the only Asian driver selected out of 28 junior and senior karters for the FIA shootout, her impressive racing CV speaks volumes about her consistency and perseverance. Bianca was presented with the 2019 National Senior Karter of the Year, a major achievement and a stepping stone on the journey towards her professional racing career. With every win, she has proven her ability to go head-to-head with some of the top talents in the region, holding her ground and delivering maximum performance on the track. Currently, she is training hard to prepare for her chance of being selected to be inducted into the Ferrari Driver Academy. Bustamante will head to France to take part in the Girls on Track - Rising Stars shootout which takes place from October 21-23, representing not only the Philippines but also all of Asia for the coveted scholarship.
“A few years ago, I was presented with 2018 Asian Junior Karter of the Year. Today, I am honoured to receive the 2019 National Senior Karter of the Year. Throughout my 10 years in Motorsport, I’ve experienced defeats that I never knew I would be able to overcome. Those setbacks taught a very important lesson: you cannot swim for new horizons until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore, because of this I am no longer afraid of failing. I want to thank the Golden Wheel Award Foundation for their support and everyone who has stood by me in this journey. This award marks my final year in karting, I am excited for the next step in my career.”
Bianca Bustamante
