Solid points haul for Filipina racer Bianca Bustamante to start the 2024 F1 Academy season, her first as a McLaren development driver.
Bianca Bustamante brings home points after her first round of F1 Academy racing as a McLaren development driver.
Despite mixed results, the Filipina racer sits fourth in the standings after round 1 in Jeddah with 18 points, trailing Alpine’s Abbi Pulling, Ferrari’s Maya Weug, and Mercedes’ Doriane Pin.
Bustamante started fifth on the grid in Race 1 in Jeddah but lost a place as she crossed the chequered flag in sixth.
However, a post-race time penalty to Lola Lovinfosse allowed three drivers to be promoted one place up, including Bianca for a P5 finish and 10 points.
In Race 2, Bustamante qualified 10th on the grid but managed to finish in 8th despite receiving a five-second time penalty for track infringements.
However, Bianca caught a big break as a massive-post race penalty to race winner Doriane Pin shuffled the final order.
Pin received a 20-second drive-through penalty for crossing the chequered flag twice. Amna Al Qubaisi, who originally finished in sixth, was also given a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
Following the post-race announcements, Bustamante was promoted to P6, taking eight points.
“We couldn’t [maximize] our full potential, but we made the most of the situation to score solid points,” Bianca wrote on social media.
Round 2 of the F1 Academy season is set for May 3-5 in Miami.