Attention, motorsport fans: You can finally get the chance to see F1 Academy and McLaren Driver Development Programme racer Bianca Bustamante in the flesh in her first-ever (!) fan meeting in her home country. Fresh from racing through the first three locations in F1A's calendar, the 19-year-old racer will be taking a well-deserved break and taking the opportunity to meet her Pinoy fans before jetting off to Zandvoort for Round 4 on the last week of August.
Interested in attending? Here's everything you need to know about Bianca's upcoming Manila fan meeting:
When and where will Bianca Bustamante's Manila fanmeet be held?
The three-day motorsport-themed event is called "Race to Inspire," where Bianca will be the ambassador of the said affair. It will be held from August 9 to 11, 2024 at the Central Atrium in SM Mall of Asia.
Here's the schedule for all three days:
- August 9 (Friday), Panel Discussion: 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
- August 10 (Saturday), Autograph Session 1: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
- August 11 (Sunday), Autograph Session 2: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Make sure to arrive early as all three days have limited spots and operate on a first-come, first-served basis!
What are the activities at Bianca Bustamante's Manila fanmeet?
Panel Discussion
On the first day of her fanmeet, Bianca herself will be hosting a panel discussion. She'll be chatting with inspiring fellow Pinoys from all fields like race driver Marlon Stockinger, content creator and car builder Angie Mead King, Philippine National Women's football player Inna Palacios, Philippine National Wushu athlete Agatha Wong, and GoTyme Bank Chief Marketing Officer Raymund Villanueva.
They'll be discussing the growth in popularity of motorsports in the Philippines, the advancement of women in sports, how athletes overcome certain adversities, and their future goals and aspirations.
Simulators
You can also try your hand at being a Formula One driver and experience playing EA Sports' latest release, F1 '24, with state-of-the-art simulators by Logitech G.
Train Like Bia
Ever wonder how formula racers get their super fast reflexes? (A must if you're driving a car at speeds of up to 220mph!) Drivers like Bianca train their reflexes with BlazePod, a fun and interactive flash reflex training system. You'll be able to test out the machine, too, during the fan meeting!
Slot cars
What are slot cars, you ask? Well, after some Googling, we've found that they're actually those miniature electric vehicles—all racing on a predetermined "slot" or groove on a track. At the event, you can try to out-rev the competition.
Meta Motors
At the event, there'll be lots of ways to experience racing—and Meta Motors is another one of them. They've been leveling up the traditional racing experience by seamlessly integrating live physical races with interactive online engagement. What does that mean? At the fanmeet, participants at the event in Pasay will be able to control real RC cars on a live track in Pasig—allowing the audience to become the player. Exciting!
Win prizes
Aside from all the fun games, you can also get the chance to bring home exclusive prizes by participating in various activities around the venue.
See you there! ;)