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Bianca Bustamante selected to race in W Series for 2022 season

W Series has now confirmed the 17 drivers that will compete in the 2022 season, which as we’ve learned, includes our very own Bianca Bustamante. She has secured a full-year drive in the all-female-championship that will run alongside 8 of the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends.

She jumped straight from karting and was able to quickly adapt to single-seaters. This was evident in her first W Series test at Inde Motorsports Ranch in Arizona, USA that earned her a slot in the pre-season at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain earlier this month. Bianca’s performance clearly got the attention of W Series Racing Director Dave Ryan that it earned her a slot on the grid this year.

Bianca is the lone driver from the Philippines and Southeast Asia in this year’s championship, and at 17-years-of-age is also one of the youngest. Expect the competition to be tight as most drivers in the entry list are series returnees, only 5 of which are rookies including her.

She will be racing a Tatuus F3 T-318 (the same machine used in Regional Formula) on renowned circuits around the world as the series is run as a support race to Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends. The 8-round championship kicks off at the inaugural Miami GP in May then conclude at the Mexican GP in October.

2022 W Series Race Calendar
Round 1 | May 6-8 (Miami International Autodrome, USA)
Round 2 | May 20-22 (Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain)
Round 3 | July 1-3 (Silverstone Circuit, UK)
Round 4 | July 22-24 (Circuit Paul Ricard, France)
Round 5 | July 29-31 (Hungaroring, Hungary)
Round 6 | October 7-9 (Suzuka International Racing Course, Japan)
Round 7 | October 21-23 (Circuit of the Americas, USA)
Round 8 | October 28-30 (Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico)

Bianca believes that W Series will not only provide her with a platform to showcase her talent, but also inspire a new generation of young girls to take up motorsport. The championship eliminates financial barriers by selecting drivers purely on ability and provides a free-to-enter 8-race season. Its mission is to create opportunities in the highest levels of motorsport for as many women as possible.

Bianca Bustamante: “I am beyond thrilled to be part of W Series this season. It is a dream come true and I am still pinching myself every day to check this actually happened. All my life I have had my sights set on Formula 1, and now my racing career has taken a big step in the right direction thanks to W Series. There is still so much work to do, and every day I am learning because everything is still completely new to me. It has been a whirlwind and I’m looking forward to a couple of weeks at home in the Philippines before my debut race in W Series. Until then I’m going to keep pinching myself until I’m finally on the start grid in Miami.”

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Time Attack Manila

Time Attack Manila

Founded in late 2013, Time Attack Manila (TAM) is the only dedicated online magazine in the Philippines that focuses on local and international motorsports.
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Time Attack Manila

Time Attack Manila

Founded in late 2013, Time Attack Manila (TAM) is the only dedicated online magazine in the Philippines that focuses on local and international motorsports.
View All Posts
Time Attack Manila