Bianca Bustamante took another significant step in her motorsport career this week, completing an intensive and productive 95-lap stint with CUPRA KIRO during the 2025 Formula E Rookie Test at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit in Berlin.
Driving alongside 2023 GB3 champion Callum Voisin, Bustamante was part of a strong testing programme for the team, helping contribute to the 192 laps completed overall — a combined 455 kilometres of crucial data-gathering ahead of the final rounds of the Formula E season.
Making history for the Philippines
For Bustamante, the opportunity to drive in a Formula E car wasn’t just about mileage — it carried personal and national significance. Speaking exclusively to Pit Debrief, she highlighted the pride of representing the Philippines on a global motorsport stage.
“Joining Formula E is another big one for me,” she said. “Being, I guess, the first Filipino to be part of the Formula E championship — it’s cool. Hopefully in the future, bringing it to the Philippines would be another milestone for me. That’s why I do what I do — to hopefully have a Philippine Grand Prix one day.”
Racing that keeps you guessing
The rookie test gave her first real taste of what makes Formula E unique — particularly the shift away from traditional internal combustion engine performance metrics.
“Besides lacking the sound, the biggest adjustment is definitely how close the grid is,” Bustamante explained. “In Formula 1, you see gaps of seconds. Like, Lando and Oscar in McLaren are quite a way ahead of the field if you compare it to, for example, Alpine. You see a huge gap in performance.”
“But with Formula E, it’s so close. From the first driver to the last, we’re all within the same second — only separated by tenths. That’s huge in motorsport terms.”
Bustamante noted how the tight performance spread across the grid completely transforms the dynamics of racing in Formula E.
“Having such a compact field makes a huge difference,” she said. “It makes everything unpredictable — you can go from winning a race to being midfield, and vice versa.”
“That makes for better racing as well. You never really know what’s going to happen.”
Eyes on the London E-Prix
With a successful test now under her belt, Bustamante’s name is increasingly appearing in conversations around the next generation of all-electric racing talent. Her growing résumé now spans F1 Academy, GB3, and Formula E development work — and she continues to break new ground as a visible and vocal Southeast Asian representative in global motorsport.
As CUPRA KIRO turns its attention to the London E-Prix season finale, Bustamante’s 95-lap contribution will be a valuable part of the team’s preparations. But more importantly, it marks a milestone in her continued rise.
