Chance at W Series seat 'huge step' for Bustamante's F1 dreams
MANILA, Philippines — Bianca Bustamante made it clear that her end goal in racing remains to be Formula 1, the world's top flight open-wheel single-seater racing.
But now getting a chance to nab a seat among the nine teams in the all-female racing championship W Series is a crucial development in her career.
Bustamante, a former Asian Jr. Karter of the Year, was picked as one of 14 prospect drivers in the W Series pre-season test last month where teams looked at potential drivers to sign for the 2022 season.
Though not having signed with a team, yet, Bustamante says the whole experience has already pushed her career a ways from where it had been just months ago.
"I've already done the pre-season test and that definitely gave me a lot experience, I learned a lot from the girls, from the team, the W Series," Bustamante told Philstar.com.
"You know, my goal will forever be Formula 1 even if I do get the seat [in W Series] but it's a huge step definitely because I'll be driving a Formula 3 car in the W Series race and that's like the next step coming from Formula 4," she added.
If she does get to race in W Series, which is a support race to multiple Formula 1 races in their calendar, means Bustamante virtually leap frogs over Formula 4 and into Formula 3 thus bringing her ever the more closer to Formula 1.
"Just imagining having my debut race in a Formula 3 car, not even Formula 4, that's just crazy," said Bustamante.
"It's like a major leap from where I was and I'm just so happy thinking about it," she added.
Bustamante has been in the US since January for the pre-season test.
She also underwent a two-day test with F4 US Championship team Doran-Kroll Competition.
Now she's in the midst of intensive training in multiple venues, including PitFit Training where many IndyCar Series drivers train.
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