McLaren Driver Bianca Bustamante "Sincerely Apologises" After Liking Abusive Post

F1 Academy driver Bianca Bustamante publicly apologises after liking a controversial social media post.

Bianca Bustamante, McLaren's recent academy recruit and F1 Academy driver, has publicly apologised for unintentionally liking an offensive post about Aston Martin's Lance Stroll. Her actions, which attracted significant attention and criticism, led to a public statement of regret from the 18-year-old Filipino driver.

Key Takeaways:

• Controversial Like: Bianca Bustamante, a young driver in McLaren's Driver Development programme, faced backlash for liking a post that negatively targeted Lance Stroll.
• Public Apology: Bustamante issued a public apology, explaining the incident as an accidental like and expressing remorse for any hurt caused, particularly considering her personal connection to the topic of autism.
• Community Reaction: The racing community's response to Bustamante's apology and subsequent video featuring her brother was mixed, with some questioning the sincerity of her apology and others offering forgiveness.

McLaren Press Image

Bianca Bustamante, a recent addition to the McLaren Driver Development programme and F1 Academy driver, has found herself in the midst of a social media controversy. After "unintentionally" liking a derogatory post aimed at Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, Bustamante faced a wave of scrutiny. 

In her apology, Bustamante expressed deep regret, stating: 

“I truly, deeply apologise. I own up to mistakes having liked an inappropriate tweet, I can’t believe all the people whom I have hurt.

“I was scrolling and accidentally liked the tweet, once I discovered that later on, I immediately unliked it.

“As someone who grew up with my only brother having Autism, I completely understand the challenges faced by anyone with Autism.

“I would never in a million years support Ableism at any level, let alone support an Ableist tweet against a fellow driver.

“I take the topic of Autism very seriously and very personal.

“To Lance Stroll and anyone that this has offended, I sincerely apologise as these types of comments is something I do not support.

“I hope the racing community understands this is 100% an accident, my sincerest apologies for this big mistake.”

Bustamante went on to share a video of her with her brother, writing:

"I rarely share so much about my personal life. But if there’s one thing that kept me going, it was my brother... And truly I’m sorry to the whole Autism community."