Reflecting on how far she’s come from her karting days as a kid with a dream others deemed implausible, she offered: “People will tell you what to do, they will try to box you and make you follow a certain path that is often made for you. It doesn’t matter how well you blend in, but how boldly you stand out.”
She continued: “Most of the time, we’re scared to be too smart, too pretty, too talkative or too loud. We’re told that being too much is not a good thing. But remember, you’re never too much; often, they’re just not enough.”
Boom. Mic drop moment from a young woman whose decision to take the road less travelled has paid off against the odds.
“Do something that scares you every day,” is therefore Bustamante’s sage advice for youth. “I didn’t follow the mould, I didn’t follow the path that my parents wanted me to, but it’s gotten me this far, and it’s given me so much joy knowing that I’m doing something that scares me so much,” she said.
“Dream, find your passion, and put in the hard work. Go above and beyond; if you want to do something, do it 10 times better [than the next guy],” she continued.
For all her achievements and accolades so far, Bustamante believes her ultimate dream is still within her grasp: “Formula One is my Everest,” she said. “There are only 20 F1 drivers every year so it’s a slim margin – like one in a million – with thousands of aspiring drivers [vying for a spot]. It’ll be tough, but it’s not impossible. Every day, we’re closer to seeing a woman [driver] in Formula One.”
