Bianca Bustamante on finances, freedom, and playing the most expensive sport in the world
We may know her as the “Fastest Filipina on Track,” but F1 Academy Racer Bianca Bustamante didn’t take any shortcuts to where she is now. What does it take to keep the wheels turning for this 19-year-old in terms of her competing in what has been dubbed the most expensive sport in the world?
In the latest episode of GoTyme’s Speaking of Money podcast, Bianca joined host Sam Sadhwani as they got candid about finances, the future, and following her passion in the high-stakes and exclusive world of F1 racing.
Bianca started racing competitively at five years old. From there, she defied the odds in a male-dominated sport as the first Filipina accepted into the F1 Academy for promising race car drivers.
During the Speaking of Money podcast, Bianca shared the sacrifices she’s had to make to be able to break through at such a competitive sport, such as training at an early age, being home-schooled, and applying for scholarships to get up and running.
“And I think that’s what you really need. You need parents that push you from when you’re a kid. None of it would happen in just a snap,” she said.
“All of it is continuous hard work, sacrifices, determination, the whole pinnacle of it. You can’t make it there overnight.”
Bianca also shared that beyond her love for racing, she also has other hobbies like diving, doing her makeup, and watching movies. But she’s well aware that racing continues to be the most expensive activity out of all of them.
“You pay to travel, you pay for hotels, and then you have to pay for the car, the track, the engineers and mechanics, the helmet, the gears, the equipment, the tires, the fuel,” she said. “[The cost will] never be as nowhere near close.”
With these expenses in mind, Bianca knows it’s important to maintain discipline on where her money goes. “The only thing I buy myself is probably experiences,” she said.
“I buy things that I can experience and I can always keep with me. Experiences like scuba diving, enrolling in classes, and attending festivals. That’s what I invest in now.”
True enough, with determination, discipline, and the right financial tools, young achievers like Bianca can go the distance. Having a trusted bank like GoTyme, dubbed as the “Philippines’ fastest-growing bank,” also provides essential support in spending and securing the fruits of their labor.
Catch the first part of GoTyme’s Speaking of Money podcast episode with Bianca Bustamante here:
Part 2:
– Rappler.com