Filipina racer Bustamante nabs W Series seat for 2022 season
SINGAPORE — A Filipina will be racing in the W Series — an all-female single-seater racing championship serving as a support series for the Formula 1 championship — after 17-year-old driver Bianca Bustamante was named to the 2022 driver lineup.
On Tuesday, W Series announced the nine drivers selected by Racing Director Dave Ryan to join the eight women who automatically qualified for the 2022 season due to their standings.
Bustamante, who participated in the W Series preseason test in Arizona and Barcelona, was among five new drivers who will be making their W Series debut.
Those joining her as rookies are Tereza Babickova of the Czech Republic, Chloe Chambers of the United States, the Netherlands' Emely De Heus and Juju Noda of Japan.
"The five rookies are well-prepared and join a group of proven W Series performers who know what it's all about. In the spirit of W Series, they will all drive each other forwards," said Ryan.
The W Series will stage races on eight Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with the first one being in Miami, USA in May.
Meanwhile, an 18th slot is left open on the grid to give racing experience to a pool of reserve drivers which will be announced at a later date, according to the W Series website.
Bustamante will drive for one of the nine teams in the 2022 W Series grid.
As for whom the Filipina teen will be racing for, that will be announced soon, as per W Series.
Bustamante is a former Asian Jr Karter of the Year.
She has been in the US for months now as she hones her skills ahead of the 2022 season.
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