Bustamante hoping to be 'one step ahead' in Barcelona as she targets first win of 2024

Riding high after her P2 finish in Miami, Bianca Bustamante believes her on and off-track growth is paying off in her performances. A rapid start to Round 3 saw her post an identical time to Practice pace-setter Abbi Pulling and the McLaren driver’s efforts have left her confident that she can throw herself into the 2024 title fight.

Posting a 1:42.474 in the opening session of the weekend, she went two tenths quicker than Hamda Al Qubaisi and Nerea Martí. However, with less than ideal track conditions, the Filipina racer recognises that everything could change as the weekend unfolds, and she has to be constantly on top of it.

Reflecting on the 40 minutes of running, Bustamante was pleased to have executed a clean session and to demonstrate how much she’s evolving as a driver by setting the pace from the get-go.

“Barcelona is a difficult one because everyone's been here before,” she said. "We've done testing, so everyone’s started off at a good pace. I think it's very much about just extracting the most out of the car, the situation, the track condition — all these changing variables. We’re just constantly moving and adapting, so it's very much up to me to be able to drive and always drive to the limit of it, which we had done in Free Practice.

“The track wasn’t in optimum condition. It rained the previous day and we were the first ones on track, so we had to clean up all the rubber and all the dust, so we knew it was going to be a tough session. In the end, we stuck with the plan and followed it, no mistakes and no errors on my side and the team. I think that resulted in what it was in P2 and an identical lap time.

“It’s good to show that we can be up there setting the reference. I feel like I have a lot to show this year and it's only getting better after each session and run in each race. I'm also growing a lot as a person, which is very, very important in pursuit of the perfect lap. I'm also trying to better myself.”

From the beginning of Practice, it was immediately clear that drivers and teams expect tyre degradation to be a major factor this weekend, as they waited in the pit lane for the opening 10 minutes.

Once they headed out, flying laps came in a short burst before the tyres fell off their performance cliff. With such a narrow operating window and no do-overs, Bustamante knows that precision is key and expects her first push lap on each set to be her best shot at securing a spot at the front of the field.

READ MORE: PRACTICE: Pulling heads the field in Barcelona opener

“We pretty much have a very short window with the tyres, so everything needs to be perfect,” she noted. “Everything needs to be timed to perfection, even mentally. When you get in the car, you need to get there and know what you have to do. It’s not about guessing or one more lap because you don't have another lap. You do your lap and what you have is what you will have to deal with. There’s a bit of extra added pressure knowing that the tyres will go away when they do."

Bustamante added: “I feel like every scenario is different and there are some areas that made Jeddah or Miami harder on their own, and this is what makes Barcelona quite interesting. It's about having that memory bank in your head. No matter what happens, you always know what you need to do. We've worked hard with the team to analyse every bit of data, to move forward for Qualifying, in the car as well as driving. The important bit is always being one step ahead rather than letting the track dictate what you have to do.”

Off the back of her podium in Miami Race 2, Bustamante is more confident and motivated than ever. Seeing it all as part of her learning process, the Filipina racer is buoyed by a sense of growing momentum behind her sophomore campaign.

Sitting 12 points off Maya Weug in third, she has her first win of the year and the top three in the Drivers’ Standings in her sights. To do that, she said she needs to pull off her best weekend to date and dominate from the moment she hits the track in Qualifying this evening.

“I’m just calm, I think that’s important,” the McLaren driver admitted. “When you’re young and you haven’t experienced a lot of things in life and in racing, you’re kind of dumbfounded when you approach a situation and you don’t know what to do. You don’t know what to expect, you have no expect.

READ MORE: De Heus targets repeat of 2023 upturn as she looks to bounce back with Barcelona victory

“That’s part of the growth process that I’ve had to go through. I approach the track or a corner and I have all these memories in my head, this memory bank of certain experiences. It gives you some sort of mental fortitude and calmness, which is very important in the car.”

She added: “It’s so easy to say I want to go for the win. I feel like I wouldn't be a racing driver if I didn't say I wanted to win, but obviously I'm trying not to get too far ahead of myself. I know we’re fighting for a title, that’s why Qualifying matters and that’s what’s right in front of us.

“All we have to do is score every point possible, fastest lap time, pole position and hopefully, the win too! Everything is completely out of our control, as well as it is in our control. It’s like controlling the uncontrollable, which is sometimes a bit mind boggling, but at the same time it's fun. We have our sight on the top three and hopefully we’ll get our maiden win (of the season) this weekend.”