Former McLaren star prepares for Abbi Pulling challenge in mixed series debut

Bianca Bustamante, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

Abbi Pulling

Former McLaren star prepares for Abbi Pulling challenge in mixed series debut

Abbi Pulling will face an old rival in GB3 this year

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Thursday 17 April 2025 14:58

Former McLaren-backed driver Bianca Bustamante has spoken ahead of her maiden GB3 campaign where she will go up against her former F1 Academy rival Abbi Pulling.

GB3 is the UK’s leading single-seater championship where both men and women compete for title, whilst also offering a rung on the feeder series ladder into international competitions such as Formula 3 for young racing stars.

As a result of winning the F1 Academy title back in 2024, Pulling received a fully-funded seat with Rodin Motorsport in GB3 and is joined in the championship by Bustamante who will compete with Elite Motorsport.

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The season gets underway at the end of this month on April 26 at Silverstone, and Bustamante revealed her preparations ahead of facing a more competitive field.

Can Pulling and Bustamante enjoy success in GB3?

According to GMA News Online, she said: “There’s so much confidence in me knowing that I’ve got the best support, the best team. We’ve had multiple testings where we were quite competitive. And I think that’s always a confidence boost."

“But we’ve got our eyes set on multiple years in this championship. I know that this year will be the learning year, and next year we’ll be able to go for it like we did in F1 Academy.”

The F1 Academy only allows a racing driver to compete for two seasons, and once a driver is named champion they cannot return, with the series fully aimed at supporting fledgling female racing stars.

“Honestly, I’m just living the dream. I never would have imagined that I would make it this far into my career and be able to compete in GB3,” Bustamante continued.

“Making this huge step in my career forward, it’s been such an exhilarating journey with a lot of ups and downs, but [I] always face it with a smile on my face.”

Bustamante was recently named in Forbes' 30 under 30 Europe 2025 list, despite finishing last year’s F1 Academy championship in seventh. Pulling did not feature on the list even though she won the 2024 title.

Both Pulling and Bustamante have parted way with the F1 teams that supported them through the Academy last year, with Alpine and McLaren instead supporting Nina Gademan and Ella Lloyd in 2025.

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F1 Academy Formula 3 Abbi Pulling Bianca Bustamante