P1racenews AI automatic summary:
McLaren have added Bianca Bustamante to their driver development roster.
An 18-year-old driver named Bianca Bustamante has signed with McLaren and ART Grand Prix for the F1 Academy season in 2023. She will drive with a McLaren-themed livery. McLaren’s development program aims to help drivers like Bustamante make their way into F1, IndyCar, and Formula E. In the 2022 W Series season, she finished 15th and scored points only once. Currently, she is in seventh place in the F1 Academy standings for this year, with one round remaining. Bustamante expressed her gratitude for this opportunity, saying that signing with McLaren and ART Grand Prix is beyond her wildest dreams. She hopes to improve her speed and establish consistency in 2024 in order to challenge for the title in the F1 Academy season. McLaren’s team boss, Andrea Stella, is thrilled for Bustamante to join the team and for McLaren’s involvement in the F1 Academy. The team values diversity and inclusivity and sees Bustamante’s signing as a contribution to improving gender diversity in motorsport. They are excited to see her grow and progress within McLaren’s Racing Driver Development program under Emanuele’s guidance.
Source: Crash
