Bianca Bustamante delivered her strongest performance yet in the 2026 Eurocup-3 Championship after producing a determined comeback drive during Round 2 at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimão, Portugal, held last June 5 to 7. Competing for Palou Motorsport in partnership with PREMA Racing, the Filipina racer showed resilience and racecraft throughout the race weekend highlighted by her best finish so far in the highly competitive European single-seater series.
Bustamante’s breakthrough came during Saturday’s Race 1. After qualifying 25th in a packed 30-car field, she made an impressive start and climbed to 20th before being hit from behind on the opening lap. The contact spun her around and dropped her to the back of the field in 30th position while also leaving her car with front wing damage.
Rather than settling for damage limitation, Bustamante launched an aggressive recovery drive. Using her Push to Pass allocations effectively and maximizing opportunities through multiple Safety Car restarts, she steadily worked her way through the field. At several points, she overtook multiple rivals in a single sequence before ultimately crossing the finish line in 14th place. The result marked her best finish in Eurocup-3 and underscored the progress she has made in adapting to the new Dallara 326 race car.
Her momentum carried into Sunday. Bustamante secured 21st on the grid, her closest qualifying performance of the season. She missed 15th place by just one-tenth of a second, illustrating the razor-thin margins that separate competitors in the Eurocup-3 Championship. In Race 2, the 21-year-old maintained a consistent pace and executed several clean overtakes to finish 18th in another competitive outing.
As the only female driver on the Eurocup-3 grid, Bustamante continues to navigate one of motorsport’s most demanding development pathways. Alongside her on-track efforts, she has committed to extensive physical training and detailed data analysis sessions with her team to accelerate her development.
Following her encouraging weekend in Portugal, Bustamante now shifts her focus to the upcoming Collective Testing session in Aragon before Round 3 of the Eurocup-3 season at Imola, Italy, on July 3 to 5.
Autocar’s Take
Bianca Bustamante’s Portimão performance may not have ended with a podium, but it could prove just as significant. In a championship as competitive as Eurocup-3, moving from last place to 14th after early-race contact is a strong indicator of growing confidence and racecraft. The Filipina driver’s steady progress shows that development in European motorsport is rarely measured solely by trophies.
Her ability to fight back, stay composed, and continue improving against some of the continent’s best young talents highlights why many continue to watch her journey closely. Sometimes the biggest victories are the gains that statistics alone cannot capture.
