As Bianca Bustamante gears up for her GB3 debut, she is ready to once again represent the Philippines, this time on a new stage.
Filipina racing star Bianca Bustamante is making her way up in the racing world.
After completing two incredible years in the F1 Academy and racing through McLaren’s Driver Development Program, the 20-year-old is ready to take on the next chapter of her career: the GB3 Championship, the United Kingdom’s premier single-seater category
The 2025 GB3 Championship presents a new challenge for the young Filipina. Racing for Elite Motorsport, she is set to drive a more powerful car this year and race in a mixed-seater grid with both male and female drivers, something she hasn’t done since she was go-karting.
“[The GB3 car] is about 20 seconds to 15 seconds faster than an F4 car in certain circuits,” Bustamante shared in a media roundtable, just over a week before her first race. “That means that I’m driving down the streets faster, I’m cornering faster, so I think it means that it is more physically demanding and physically taxing, which is obviously not an easy thing to adapt to.”
Indeed, driving the all-new Tatuus MSV GB3-025 car will require adjustments, not just from Bianca, but also for all the other GB3 drivers.
This new car, being introduced to the championship for the first time this year, features a completely revised chassis compared to its predecessor, a revamped aerodynamic package providing 35% more downforce, and a more powerful engine with a 30bhp power increase. It also now includes a DRS (drag reduction system) for the first time.
To make this shift in her racing career, from driving a Formula 4 car to the brand-new GB3 car, requires comprehensive preparation on her part: Intense physical training sessions. A nine-to-five training camp. Improving her reaction time. Working on her mentality. Many, many on-track test sessions with her new team.
Only a few days separate Bianca and the first three rounds of the GB3 Championship now, set to open in Silverstone on April 26. Yet despite the new challenge being thrown her way, she is feeling somewhat “composed” ahead of her debut given the months of preparation.
In fact, she already has some lofty goals she openly shares: “I want to finish in the top 10, score points. I think it will be a great way to start the season, but I know it will be difficult.”
Bianca Bustamante has never been known to shy away from her ambition, and the 2025 GB3 Championship marks one of the Filipina racer’s most important steps in her career. Coming from Formula 4-level racing, the GB3 car is a stepping stone she needs to take full advantage of if she hopes to climb the ladder and level up to Formula 3.
The pressure is undeniable, especially at this stage of her journey. However, despite the pressure, nerves, and uncertainty ahead, she is more than ready to take this leap, come what may.
“I hope that I’ll be able to grow and be stronger by the end of all of it, and I know that I’ve got a great team with me,” she said.
“I was telling myself…that if I walk away from all of this penniless, without a future, without anything, I would probably still have a smile on my face because I got to live my dreams.”
Banner image courtesy of CBR Media.