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16-year-old Filipina kart racing prodigy Bianca Bustamante has become the only Asian selected to participate in a prestigious racing shoot-out in Marseilles, France – the Girls on Track Rising Stars program.
If that doesn't sound like much to you, it's actually run by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body of many of the world's most famous racing events, including Formula 1.
But what's getting people really excited is what happens to the last driver remaining: A Ferrari Driver Academy scholarship, which could then lead to a full-on career in more advanced and prestigious motorsport events.
The FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars shoot-out is set to take place from October 21 to 23, 2021.
IMAGE: @racerbia / Instagram
The three-day shootout, at the world-famous Circuit Paul Ricard, will see Bianca and 13 other drivers in the Senior category duke it out for track supremacy.
The top eight Junior and Senior finishers will be split into two camps – Karting and Formula 4.
IMAGE: @racerbia / Instagram
The top four drivers from each camp will then go on a one-week training camp with Ferrari in Fiorano, Italy. From there, one driver will be selected to compete in the International Karting season, fully-backed by Ferrari, as part of the Ferrari Driver Academy scholarship.
While this doesn't sound all too impressive to someone unfamiliar with the world of racing, a lot of Formula 1 drivers had their start in karting.
IMAGE: @racerbia / Instagram
Some notable names are also past alumni of the Ferrari Driver Academy, including Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc (Scuderia Ferrari), Canadian Lance Stroll (Aston Martin Cognizant), Mexican Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing), as well as Mick Schumacher (Uralkali Haas F1), son of legendary seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.
Bianca started racing at the tender age of five.
IMAGE: @racerbia / Instagram
Now 16 years old, the Filipina racer has already won multiple karting championships across Asia. Naturally, the next goal is to make it into Formula racing, so a Ferrari scholarship would definitely help pave that path for her.
“Thank you to the FIA for selecting me as one of the 14 drivers for the Girls On Track – Rising Stars scholarship shoot-out. I fell in love with racing ever since I was a kid, and I haven’t stopped training in preparation for this moment," Bianca said.
"Now that it’s becoming a reality, I will continue to work hard towards being selected for the Ferrari Driving Academy race scholarship. I am so proud to represent the Philippines in this competition and to be the only Asian driver selected is an added bonus, but also adds a bit of pressure to represent the Asia region against the global field."
Bianca has a whole host of achievements under her belt, which include:
1. Four-time Winner of the China Grand Prix Kart Scholarship (2018-2019)
2. Three-time Macau International Kart GP Champion (2014, 2018, 2019)
3. Two-time Junior Asian Karting Open Championship – Overall Champion (2018, 2019)
4. Three-time Philippines Driver of the Year – Karting (2018, 2019, 2020)
5. Philippines National Junior Karter of the Year (2018)
Pretty impressive, to say the least.
Keep up with Bianca and her road to the Ferrari Driver Academy on Instagram.
We're rooting for you, Bianca!
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Cover image sourced from @racerbia / Instagram and @racerbia / Instagram.
