Move over, peach fuzz. Papaya is Bianca Bustamante's color of the year.
Papaya looks good on you, Bianca!
McLaren Racing has revealed the outfit and the car that 19-year-old Filipina driver Bianca Bustamante will be using for the F1 Academy this 2024 season.
In 2023, Bustamante made history by becoming the first female driver to join the McLaren Driver Development Program. She will also be the first driver to represent McLaren in the F1 Academy series, racing with ART Grand Prix.
"In my whatever it takes era🧡," Bustamante wrote in a comment.
The new livery features McLaren's orange with elements of black, and an iconic inspiration to boot.
"The striking new livery focuses on McLaren’s heritage by incorporating stand-out colours from Bruce McLaren’s iconic 1967 championship-winning M6A Can-Am, our first papaya-coloured McLaren," the organization explained.
Needless to say, Bianca was ecstatic.
"It's surreal that I'll be driving in the McLaren livery, I absolutely love it! The design is incredibly iconic, and I'm so looking forward to racing in papaya," Bustamante shared.
"It’s great to see the F1 Academy livery revealed ahead of the upcoming season, the papaya design looks awesome and I’m looking forward to seeing it on track for the first time," said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.
"The F1 Academy series is a fantastic initiative and creates a pathway for young female drivers to reach the highest levels in motorsport. We’re pleased to have Bianca involved in the McLaren Driver Development programme and we’re looking forward to seeing her compete in F1 Academy this season."
Bustamante will also continue to race with number 16. She secured two wins and two more podium finishes, finishing seventh in the 2023 F1 Academy season.