BIANCA BUSTAMANTE Bounces Back From Qualifying Crash for GB3 Championship Debut

April 28, 2025

GRRL! SUMMARY:

BIANCA BUSTAMANTE’s GB3 Championship debut at Silverstone turned into a masterclass in resilience after a high-speed qualifying crash at Turn 1 left her sidelined for Saturday’s opener. The Filipino driver, stepping up from F1 Academy where she notched two historic victories, walked away with just bruises but her Elite Motorsport team faced an overnight rebuild mission that would test their resolve.
What could have derailed an entire season instead became a comeback story, as BUSTAMANTE returned for Sunday’s races with underlying car issues that weren’t her team’s fault. Despite the compromised machinery, she delivered two clean top-20 finishes including a best result of 19th in race three, showing the racecraft that made McLaren believe in her F1 Academy potential.
The weekend highlighted both the challenges and opportunities of GB3’s new era with upgraded Tatuus cars featuring DRS systems and a calendar mixing British circuits with European Grand Prix venues. BUSTAMANTE’s honest assessment of her “small mistake” leading to the crash, combined with her determination to attack Zandvoort, suggests we’re watching someone who learns fast from setbacks rather than being defined by them.