The 21-year-old rising Filipina racing talent is stepping up to Eurocup-3, bringing her closer to her ultimate dream of Formula 1
Bianca Bustamante has wrapped up a strong debut in the Eurocup-3 Winter Series, using the three-round campaign as crucial preparation ahead of her first Eurocup-3 main championship season.
In both the Winter Series and the upcoming main title chase, the 21-year-old is racing with Palou Motorsport in partnership with PREMA Racing, the team with whom she raced in the 2023 F1 Academy, securing two victories.
Bustamante’s Winter Series program—taking in Portugal’s Algarve International Circuit (20-22 February), Spain’s Circuito del Jarama (27 February–1 March), and MotorLand Aragón (13-15 March)—marked her first miles in the all-new Dallara 326, which is powered by a Tom’s Toyota 1.6-litre turbo engine.
Across the three events, she adapted quickly to the demands of the car, the competition, and the circuits, showing steady progression in pace, confidence, and race craft.
Despite facing challenges which included illness, technical setbacks, and the steep learning curve of a new car and new category, Bustamante consistently demonstrated resilience and upward momentum, highlighted by a P13 finish in a strong 29-car field.
Across the three events she made clear gains in performance, delivered numerous multi-position climbs through the field, and impressed with her ability to manage pressure and maximize every opportunity in the highly competitive field, in which she was the sole female racer.
Accelerating her adaptation to Eurocup-3 machinery while also strengthening her working relationship with Palou Motorsport and PREMA, this campaign has provided a solid foundation for the season ahead.
Bustamante now turns her attention to testing and final preparations for the 2026 Eurocup-3 main championship, which will commence with round one at Paul Ricard in France on May 1-3.
“My first Eurocup-3 Winter Series campaign is certainly a journey I will always remember,” says Bustamante. “This is a car I never thought I would even come close to driving, let alone racing in a 29-car grid at this level. Every weekend brought new challenges, and every session helped me grow as a driver. The lows were tough, but the highs were so pure, and I am so grateful to Palou Motorsport, PREMA, and my engineer Luis for giving me a strong car and for supporting me throughout as we grew together and really found our rhythm.”
Live timing and streaming is available for Eurocup-3 events at www.eurocup3.org and www.youtube.com/@eurocup-3. To learn more about Bustamante, visit www.biancabustamante.com.
