MANILA, Philippines – Filipino racing rising star Bianca Bustamante is set to see action in the 70th Anniversary Macau Grand Prix from November 11 to 12, her team announced on Friday, November 3.

The 18-year-old, who became the first female to join the McLaren Driver Development Program, will compete in the non-title round of the 2023 Formula 4 South East Asia Championship.

“Moving up to formula cars and the Macau Grand Prix is a significant step for me, but I’m fully committed to delivering a strong race weekend,” Bustamante, who will participate under the BlackArts racing banner, said in a statement.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for learning, and I’m going to absorb as much knowledge as possible from this experience,” added Bustamante, who goes full circle as she started karting in Macau.

Bustamante will ply along the Guia Circuit, one of the most difficult street circuits in the world, which features changing elevations and narrow barriers.

It is the third time she will participate in a street circuit in her young career, following the Miami and Singapore Grand Prix.

There will be familiarity as the Filipina will use her Tatuus F4-T421 vehicle, which she used during the 2023 season in the F1 Academy.

Practice will be held on the morning of November 11, while qualifying will be staged in the afternoon.

The eight-lap qualifiers will be held the next day at 8 am, while the 12-lap finals will be held starting at 3:40 pm.

Social media superstar

Even before turning 19 in January, Bustamante has already gained a sizable social media following, amassing over 2.2 million followers on TikTok and Instagram combined

Moreover, she was recognized as the third-most influential in the world in a survey of among over 400 female racing drivers based on social media following and online demand.

Aware of the responsibilities that come with being a public figure, Bustamante assures her fans of being a beacon to other aspiring drivers.

“[In] the past two years, I’ve learned to use social media as a tool not just to share my journey but to actually allow me to continue my journey, to allow me to race, to allow me to drive, to allow me to get track time and use that to your advantage,” Bustamante said.

“You can achieve a lot of things just by posting, or sharing content, or creating content, content that not just inspire other people but content that will allow you to do what you love, to pursue your dreams, and a lot of incredible things has happened for me because of how I’ve used my platform.” – Rappler.com