McLaren development driver Bianca Bustamante opens up about recovering from a back injury in early 2024.
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine racing driver Bianca Bustamante got candid about her fitness as she revealed a back injury she battled in 2023 and early 2024 as she heads into the next step of her career in the GB3 Championship.
Having an up-and-down year in the F1 Academy season with McLaren, Bustamante said that she struggled to train well due to her recovery period, which meant that it was harder for her to race.
Despite being able to recover physically, the Laguna native said that it continued to be a downer mentally for her.
“This has been one of my loudest silent battles in 2024. After facing a back injury at the end of 2023, my physical strength fluctuated at the start of 2024. I was unable to lift weights or train hard for my sport, which I knew would be a tough challenge as a woman in motorsport.” said Bustamante on Instagram.
“Most days, I struggled to look past it, and it became more of a mental battle than a physical one. However, I had a great team by my side, teaching me and inspiring me to show up in the gym every single day,” she added.
The post featured her journey to recovery, showing her working out with a caption: “POV: you trusted the process”.
But as she heads into a higher level of racing in the GB3 Championship with Elite Motorsport, Bustamante said that it will still be a work in progress.
With the physical demands of her new car — which will be heavier and faster than what she raced with in F1 Academy — Bustamante said that health will continue to be a priority for herself and her team.
“It’ll always be an unfinished painting as I go up the ladder in motorsport always needing to train for the next step. Now racing in GB3, it’ll be a physical year with a heavier and wayyyy faster car,” said Bustamante.
“This is the main priority for this year and I’m dedicated-determined more than ever,” she continued.
In the 2024 F1 Academy season, Bustamante finished seventh in the driver’s championship standings and struggled in the second half of the season, finishing with 73 points. She also ended up with just one podium and did not win a race.
However, with a fresh start in GB3, the 19-year-old is aiming for better results after exhausting her two years in F1 Academy.