Bianca Bustamante scores points, top-10 on British F4 debut

Bianca Bustamante had an impressive British Formula 4 debut at Zandvoort, securing a top ten finish and scoring 6 points in one of Europe's most competitive F4 grids, gaining positions in all three races in both wet and dry conditions.

Photo credits: JEP

Filipina star Bianca Bustamante made a superb debut in British Formula 4 at Zandvoort, securing a top ten finish and scoring 6 points in one of the most competitive F4 grids in Europe.

Having joined the record 27-car field in a one-off entry for Hitech Grand Prix, the McLaren Development Driver delivered solid performances, making up positions in all three races and finishing a remarkable eighth in the final contest of the weekend, charging from 19th on the grid.

Her strong runs in both wet and dry conditions, as well as her racecraft in the battles, are steps in the right direction for Bustamante, who is maximizing her driving time in F4 machinery in her quest to continue her development as a racing driver in both the all-female F1 Academy championship as well as in mixed-gender series. Currently, Bustamante is fifth in the drivers' standings after three rounds in the F1 Academy, having scored points in every race so far, including three top-five finishes, a podium, and a fastest lap to her name.

Bustamante, who took two race wins in 2023, is no stranger to challenging herself in some of the most competitive junior championships. She entered one round in Italian F4 in 2023 and select races in the Formula Winter Series earlier this year – a continuous learning process that has proven beneficial.

Joining current team championship leaders Hitech Grand Prix for the sixth round of the British F4 Championship at Zandvoort, Bianca aimed to continue building experience with a familiar machine, the Tatuus T421, also raced in the F1 Academy, ahead of the fourth round of the all-female series later next month at the same track.

The Zandvoort weekend marked a groundbreaking record of eight female racing drivers on the grid, an all-time high for British F4 and any FIA-sanctioned F4 championship globally, thanks to the F1 Academy schedule, which attracted several drivers preparing for their commitments in the F1 support championship.

Her weekend at Zandvoort got off to a positive start, with practice on a sunny Thursday bringing encouraging results: Bustamante was 17th fastest in the almost 30-car field, clocking a 1:38.689 in the morning session, then improving to a 1:38.278 in the afternoon, again placing her inside the top 20. Conditions, however, changed dramatically on Friday, when the drivers tackled a rainy qualifying session. Bustamante posted a 1:51.311 lap that was enough for 19th place on the grid for Races 2 and 3. Two red flags and traffic also meant she couldn't find a clean second-best lap and would have to line up from P23 in Race 1.

"Unfortunately I made the races tougher for myself than I would've liked", Bianca explained, "During the wet qualifying I locked up on the last sector of my last flying lap so instead of being in the top 10, I qualified P19 in the 27 car field. That meant I had to fight back in each of the 3 races this weekend. Set myself up for a difficult weekend, but I focused on learning and of course we didn't give up."

In very wet conditions on Saturday morning, visibility proved to be challenging, especially in the midfield. Nevertheless, Bianca Bustamante had a clean start to Race 1, managing to retain her P23 position after the first hectic stages. Soon after, she began making up positions: she immediately closed in on the top 20, showcasing her ability to navigate through the pack even under challenging conditions.

A few laps later, she joined a group of cars including Edgar, Lloyd, Gademan, and Chong, battling for positions just inside the top 20. However, Bianca also had to watch her mirrors from the recovering Zack Scoular, and the two engaged in a close battle. Bustamante put on a determined defense and fought back after the two initially traded positions. She ultimately managed to open a safe gap and shifted her focus ahead, catching former F1 Academy teammate Chloe Chong.

By capitalizing on attrition ahead, Bustamante moved up to P18. In the closing laps, Chong held on to her position, and despite Bustamante's best efforts, she couldn't find a way past, eventually settling in P18. This position marked a positive first race for the Filipina, who gained five positions on her first-ever outing in the highly competitive British series, and set a solid foundation for the rest of the weekend.

The second race was scheduled for Saturday afternoon and was to be held on a drying track, but a new rain shower during the formation lap brought new challenges; when Matus Ryba's car grinded to a halt on the final corner of the formation lap, the start was delayed, giving some drivers the chance to switch to wet tyres.

After a second formation lap, the starting lights went off, then on again, causing chaos. Most drivers started then slowed down again, leading to confusion and multiple collisions. Bianca Bustamante had managed to avoid the stopped cars but she was hit from behind and her car sustained damage. The red flag was eventually deployed and, due to the starting light technical issue, the race was rescheduled to Sunday morning – giving Hitech the chance to fix Bianca's car.

Conditions on Sunday morning were significantly different from the previous day, with a mostly sunny and dry track providing new opportunities. From reverse grid pole, Abbi Pulling had a difficult getaway, allowing her Rodin Motorsport teammate Alex Ninovic to take the lead into turn 1. Bustamante had another good launch and gained one position on the first lap.

She continued to move forward, capitalizing on the contact between Campbell-Pilling and Seewooruthun to pick up positions. Up to 16th with 12 minutes to go, Bustamante then found herself under pressure from the recovering Kai Daryanani, who had spun on the opening lap. After a close duel, Bianca held her own but the Fortec Motorsport driver eventually found a way past on lap 8.

In the closing stages, she had to defend from Bart Harrison, who made a successful move on lap 11, although Bianca managed to pick up another position on Ernesto Rivera, crossing the finish line in P17. The two positions gained from the start meant that Bustamante secured her first championship points in British F4, marking a significant achievement in her debut weekend.

The third and final race of the Zandvoort triple-header took place on Sunday afternoon, again in dry conditions. Starting from 19th, Bustamante aimed to make up more positions, having shown good racecraft in the busy midfield. At lights out, Deagan Fairclough led from pole ahead of Seewooruthun and Molnar, while Ninovic quickly charged up the field.

Bustamante initially lost one position, completing the first lap in P20, and found herself stuck in a big gaggle of cars battling for position, just ahead of fellow F1 Academy racer Carrie Schreiner.

On lap 4, Lloyd, Campbell-Pilling, and Rivera went three-wide into turn 4, causing Campbell-Pilling to cut through the grass and, in rejoining, he collided with Robinson, Scoular, and Gademan, triggering a big crash that resulted in the deployment of the red flag. Skillfully avoiding the chaos, Bustamante emerged unscathed and was up to P13, ahead of Schreiner, Nobels, and Chong.

The race restarted behind the safety car with 9 minutes to go, setting the stage for an action-packed final run. Bustamante made a spectacular restart, gaining positions to move up to tenth. She cleared Yuanpu Cui and then Harrison on lap 8; when Pulling picked up a puncture with 4 minutes to go, Bustamante further climbed the order, finding herself in eighth place.

In the final laps, Bianca had to defend from Matus Ryba, holding off her rival superbly. This heroic run to P8 secured her first top ten in British F4, as well as four more points in the championship. It was an excellent end to a successful outing, demonstrating her quick adaptation to the series.

"Highlight for me was Race 3, as I managed to drive a clean race and moved up from P19 to finish P8", Bustamante said. "It was hard fought and I felt happy about that one as I had to make several split second decisions to make my way up the field."

"Big thanks to all of you for the continued support, and to my team Hitech GP for the hard work & competitive car. I learned so much from everyone in the team. But most importantly we had lots of laughs in the midst of all the tough moments. Lastly to all my sponsors for this race, LEE, CBR Media, and of course the McLaren Development Program for the ongoing support"

This accomplishment will surely be a morale boost for the Filipina, as she will return to Zandvoort for the fourth round of the F1 Academy championship on August 24-25.