Bianca Bustamante will step up to Eurocup-3 for the 2026 season with Palou Motorsport. The announcement underlines another decisive stage in the Filipino driver’s long-term pathway towards FIA Formula 3 and, ultimately, Formula 1.
She will contest both the Eurocup-3 Winter Series and the main Eurocup-3 Championship Series, becoming part of a category that has quickly established itself as a proving ground for emerging international talent.
A new era for Eurocup-3
Since its launch in 2023, Eurocup-3 has positioned itself as a critical development platform, offering young drivers the opportunity to race on iconic circuits such as Spa-Francorchamps, Monza and Barcelona-Catalunya. In 2026, the series enters a new technical chapter with the introduction of the Dallara 326 chassis, powered by Tom’s Toyota 1.6-litre turbo engine.
Bustamante will therefore face the dual challenge of learning a new car and adapting to a new championship, while competing against a strong mixed international grid. However, the move also offers valuable continuity in her broader development trajectory.
Familiar faces and technical strength
Although Eurocup-3 represents a step up, Bustamante will benefit from familiarity within the Palou Motorsport garage. The team, founded in 2023 by four-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou and his father Ramon, recently confirmed a technical partnership with PREMA Racing.
That relationship reconnects Bustamante with PREMA, the team with which she competed in the 2023 F1 Academy season and secured two victories. As a result, she will have access to elite engineering support, advanced simulator tools and extensive technical resources as she transitions into European competition with Palou Motorsport.
Building on a broad junior career
While the 2026 Eurocup-3 season represents a new chapter of her career, Bustamante has already built a diverse junior résumé. She competed in the W Series in 2022, scored points across seven races, and then raced in the Formula 4 UAE Championship with PREMA in early 2023. Later that year, she became a race winner in the inaugural F1 Academy season, earning widespread recognition and even personal congratulations from Philippine President Bongbong Marcos.
In 2024, she continued in F1 Academy under the McLaren Driver Development Programme, becoming the first female driver signed by McLaren. Alongside this, she gained experience in Italian Formula 4, GB3, and Formula E test programmes with McLaren and Cupra Kiro. Following a full GB3 Championship campaign in 2025, the move to Eurocup-3 now represents a carefully planned progression.
Winter Series debut and Championship calendar
Bustamante will make her Eurocup-3 debut in the 2026 Winter Series, beginning on 20–22 February at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, Portugal. The second round follows at Circuito del Jarama in Spain from 27 February to 1 March, before the final winter event at MotorLand Aragón on 13–15 March.
The full Eurocup-3 Championship Series will then begin in early May at Circuit Paul Ricard in France, marking the start of her main 2026 campaign.
An exciting opportunity ahead
Bustamante expressed clear enthusiasm about the announcement and the challenge that lies ahead:
“I could not be more excited to announce the step up into Eurocup 3 with Palou Motorsport with the technical support of PREMA Racing. Palou Motorsport has had some great achievements since its formation including podiums and a maiden win last season, and its new partnership with PREMA Racing – a team I know well from my time in F1 Academy – gives me confidence that we will work well together. Having that familiarity while learning a new car and new series will be really helpful as I prepare for the season ahead.”
“Eurocup-3 is definitely an exciting series to be a part of, attracting some very talented drivers and teams to the most challenging and renowned circuits in the world – and all with an exceptionally technically advanced car in the Dallara 326.”
“2025 was a big year and I feel more prepared than ever to take on this new challenge. My focus is on maximising every opportunity, continuing to grow as a driver, and achieving good results to help push closer to my next goal of reaching FIA Formula 3.”
Team Principal Ramon Palou also welcomed the signing, highlighting both Bustamante’s experience and her approach to development:
“We are really delighted to have Bianca joining the team. Her experience in single seaters, combined with her strong work ethic and ability to learn, gives us great confidence that together we can showcase Bianca’s full potential in the upcoming campaign.”
With a new technical era, a strengthened team structure and a packed calendar on Europe’s most demanding circuits, the 2026 season offers Bustamante a platform to convert experience into results and continue pushing towards FIA Formula 3 and beyond.
