Former McLaren junior joins forces with Alex Palou for 2026 season
Alex Palou in his capacity as McLaren Formula 1 reserve driver during the 2022 US Grand Prix weekend
Former McLaren junior Bianca Bustamante has joined Palou Motorsport, the team founded by IndyCar champion Alex Palou, ahead of the 2026 Eurocup-3 season.
It comes after McLaren’s legal case against its former reserve driver was heard last year.
Former McLaren junior Bianca Bustamante joins Alex Palou team for 2026 season
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Bustamante became the first female driver signed to McLaren’s junior driver scheme in 2023 while competing in the F1 Academy series.
As revealed by PlanetF1.com, it emerged ahead of last season that Bustamante and McLaren had parted ways ahead of the 2025 campaign.
Bustamante spent a full season in the GB3 series last year, finishing 22nd in the drivers’ standings – 449 points adrift of champion Alex Ninovic.
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The 20-year-old has announced that she is to take a step up the racing ladder in 2026, joining Palou Motorsport ahead of the 2026 Eurocup-3 season.
In a post to social media, she wrote: “Two years later, I find myself back in red – just a step higher and a couple kph faster hehe.
“So so happy to announce that I’ll be joining Palou Motorsport for the Eurocup-3 season with technical support by Prema.
“Such an honour to be part of an incredible squad led by Ramon Palou & Alex Palou, and to work again 2 years later with the technical crew of PREMA Racing, a team I raced with in the 2023 F1 Academy season.
“A combined group of highly experienced and determined people behind this, and I can’t wait to continue learning and growing with their guidance!!
“Another big year in my motorsport career, competing all over Europe in a bigger and faster car.
“It’s such a blessing to be able to compete again, year after year.
“Everyone knows how incredibly difficult it is to survive in this sport, and even more so to move up.
“I truly couldn’t be doing this without everyone’s support, my team, my sponsors, especially my long term supporters Laurence Escalante & the Lee Collection, and of course, all of you that have been with me since the beginning on this beautiful journey.
“So so grateful.”
Palou Motorsport was launched by Palou, the four-time IndyCar champion, and his father Ramon in 2023.
Palou started the 2023 season as McLaren’s reserve driver in F1 before the relationship between the pair turned sour.
Palou reneged on a deal to join McLaren’s IndyCar team for the 2024 season, with a view to a potential future F1 opportunity, in favour of remaining with Chip Ganassi Racing.
McLaren launched legal action with the Woking organisation seeking $19.5million in damages from Palou, who admits a breach of contract but insists he owes nothing to McLaren.
The case was heard at the High Court in London last year, with one of the more eye-opening details concerning Palou’s claims that Zak Brown had little say on the team’s decision to sign Oscar Piastri for the 2023 F1 season.
Brown branded the claims “clearly ludicrous” and argued that “anyone who follows our sport will see straight through them.”
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