I come from 'rock bottom,' says McLaren's Bianca Bustamante

Having risen out of her darkest hours during the pandemic, the Filipino race car driver is aiming to reach Formula One - her Everest.

- Wong Kim Hoh

Three years ago, Filipino race car driver Bianca Bustamante found herself deep in the doldrums. The Covid-19 pandemic had forced much of the world to its knees, and she was hit hard.

"It wasn't even just about my career. My parents were out of work because of the pandemic. We didn't have any money, we had debts, and we struggled to eat three meals a day. We were just relying on the government. I couldn't even finish my studies," says the 19-year-old.

Racing - a burning passion since her father put her in a go-kart when she was three - could no longer be part of her life.

"I felt as though my whole life had been taken from me," says Bustamante, who had been winning karting championships since the age of five.

In her darkest hours, a helping hand reached out. Veteran Canadian-Hong Kong driver and multiple Macau Grand Prix winner Darryl O'Young - whom she first met when she was 11 and had won a karting event in China he sponsored - noticed she had been strangely quiet on social media.

O'Young, who also owns a management, marketing and public relations agency, took her under his wing - and her life changed.

Fast-forward three years, and Bustamante is now the first female driver signed to McLaren's prestigious driver development programme, which counts her idol Lewis Hamilton among its graduates.

But that's not all. Bustamante is also one of just 15 drivers in the F1 Academy, a new championship under the Formula One umbrella that is dedicated to nurturing female motor racing talent. This weekend will see her showing her mettle in Singapore in the F4 spec race.

"Darryl is my mentor. He taught me everything I know," says Bustamante on the sidelines of a fireside chat in Millenia Walk organised by sports nutrition brand Optimum Nutrition.