Filipina racer Bianca “Bia” Bustamante debuted in an electric formula car with the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team at the all-female test session for the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in Valencia, Spain, on 7 November.
“We’ve worked so, so hard the past two years, and to think that I would ever get to drive a Formula E car is crazy!! Today, those dreams came to life; proudly drove the papaya colors,” Bustamante said in an Instagram post.
Bustamante finished in third place during the first practice session with the brand-new Gen3 EVO machinery, showcasing incredible speed in the electric car.
“We spent countless hours on the sim over the past few months to ensure I could make the most of this test,” Bustamante said. “Driving what is probably the fastest car I’ve ever been in, it was a huge step in the McLaren Gen 3 Evo from F4.”
This is the first all-female test session in the history of Formula E, where Bustamante drove alongside fellow female racing drivers such as Abi Pulling and Jamie Chadwick.