By NIKOLE JAVIER
McLaren Development Driver Bianca Bustamante produced her first podium finish this season in the second round of the F1 Academy on Monday morning, May 6 (Manila time) at the Miami International Autodrome.
The 19-year-old Filipina racer, who had a forgettable show in Race 1, finished second – 3.8 seconds behind double pole sitter and winner Abbi Pulling of Alpine, with Mercedes’ Doriane Pin finishing in third to round out the podium.
It was Bustamante’s fifth overall podium since competing in the all-women single-seater tournament which includes two wins last year with Prema Racing.
In Race 1 of F1 Academy’s debut in Miami, Bustamante wound up at the back and 10 seconds adrift from the rest of the grid after starting from the second row in P4.
Though Bustamante stormed her way back with a fantastic recovery drive and into the points after crossing the line in P7, a penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage which dropped her to a sorry P9.
But the Filipina immediately shifted her focus to the next and final race in Miami where she landed a spot at the front row alongside Pulling in qualifying.
Enduring the bold charge of French driver Pin on her rear, Bustamante held on to the second place with only eight tenths of a second separating their cars.
After four races, Bustamante is currently sitting in fifth place of the driver standings with 39 points.
Meanwhile, British driver Pulling overtook Pin in the top of the standings after the second round as they took turns dominating the 17-driver grid.
