Prema Racing has announced that Bianca Bustamante will be part of its three-driver lineup for the inaugural season of the F1 Academy. Graduating from karting to single-seater racing isn’t easy, especially with the tight competition in the junior categories.

That’s why Formula 1 announced the launch of the F1 Academy, an all-female series to help young women in their motorsport careers. The series will have five teams entering three drivers each, with everyone behind the wheel of a Tatuus T-421—the same chassis used in F4 championships.

After competing in the W Series last year, Bustamante signed with Prema Racing to join the 2023 Formula 4 UAE Championship, which is currently ongoing.

The F1 Academy will be held later this year with seven events (three races each), along with 15 days of official testing to maximize seat time.

Joining this is a big step in her career as the program was tailor-made to give young women like her the experience needed to compete in F3. Hopefully, she can make it into F2.

Who knows? Maybe the day we see Bianca in an F1 car may come sooner than expected.