Rising Filipina racing talent Bianca Bustamante will take another significant step in her European single-seater career after confirming a full 2026 campaign in Eurocup-3, contesting both the Winter Series and the main Championship Series with Palou Motorsport.
Bustamante will drive the all-new Dallara 326, powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged Toyota engine prepared by TOM’S, as the series enters a new technical era in 2026. The move represents another key milestone in the 20-year-old’s long-term pathway toward FIA Formula 3 and, ultimately, her ambition of reaching Formula 1.
Her Eurocup-3 season will begin early with the three-round Winter Series, starting February 20-22 at Portugal’s Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão. The championship proper will follow in May, with the opening round set for Circuit Paul Ricard in France.
Launched in 2023, Eurocup-3 has quickly established itself as a development platform for emerging talent, combining competitive international grids with races on some of Europe’s most iconic circuits, including Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, and Barcelona-Catalunya. The championship places a strong emphasis on driver progression and technical innovation, aligning closely with Bustamante’s career trajectory.
While the step up brings the challenge of a new series and unfamiliar machinery, Bustamante will find a degree of continuity within her new environment. Palou Motorsport was founded in 2023 by four-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou and his father Ramon, and recently announced a technical partnership with PREMA Racing. PREMA is a familiar name to Bustamante, having been the team with which she competed in the 2023 F1 Academy season, where she claimed two race victories.
The collaboration will provide Bustamante access to top-tier engineering expertise, advanced simulator programs, and extensive technical resources as she expands her European racing résumé with Palou Motorsport.
Following a pivotal 2025 campaign in the GB3 Championship, the move to Eurocup-3 is viewed as a strategic progression, offering valuable experience against a strong, mixed international field and further preparing her for the demands of FIA Formula 3.
After the Portimão opener, the Eurocup-3 Winter Series continues at Circuito del Jarama in Spain from February 27 to March 1, before concluding at MotorLand Aragón on March 13-15. The full Eurocup-3 Championship Series calendar begins in May, with live timing and streaming available through the series’ official broadcast platforms.
