Zak Brown does not believe that McLaren development driver Bianca Bustamante has what it takes to make the Formula One grid in the future, despite a promising start to life in F1 Academy.
Bustamante made her debut in the F1 Academy series in 2023 with Prema Racing, scoring two podiums and two victories en route to a seventh-placed finish in the overall standings. In 2024, she is still hunting for her first win of the season but is once again seventh on the board with two rounds remaining.
She is also a member of the illustrious McLaren Driver Development Programme, which has promoted the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris into F1. Some of her fellow members include IndyCar icon Pato O’Ward, recent Macau Grand Prix winner Ugo Ugochukwu and Formula Three prodigy Martinius Stenshorne.
Bustamante, who hails from Manila in the Philippines, is also a social media sensation. The 19-year-old has amassed over 1.6 million followers on Instagram, bringing eyes to the team from new markets.
Despite her relative F1 Academy success, McLaren Racing CEO Brown does not believe that she’ll become the next female star in Europe’s premier open-wheel series. So far, only two drivers – Lella Lombardi and Maria Teresa de Filippis – have started a Grand Prix.
In an interview with TIME, Brown said: “I don’t think she’s a future Formula One driver, because you’ve got to be one of the best 20 in the world, and I don’t think she’s demonstrated that level—not to say she’s a bad racing driver at all. I think she can definitely have a great career.”
While F1 Academy has been a step in the right direction, opportunities in F1 for female drivers have still been limited. Jess Hawkins did test an Aston Martin at the Hungaroring in 2023, but other than that there has been little progress.
One driver with a buzz surrounding her is Abbi Pulling, who is on the verge of clinching the F1 Academy title with a round to spare after a sensational season that has produced seven wins from 10 races, and a 100 per cent podium attendance record.
“[I’m] super impressed about Abbi’s season,” explained fellow Alpine employee Esteban Ocon. “Especially how she’s improved over the time she’s been driving in single-seaters. She’s really been working super well.
“She’s one of those drivers that trains super hard, stays with the team. She’s really involved into listening to us in Formula One. We get feedback as well from their driving, when they drive before us at times, and it’s always very valid, the information we get.”
