Latest McLaren recruit Bianca Bustamante faces backlash after liking controversial tweet on Lance Stroll

Latest McLaren recruit Bianca Bustamante has landed herself in a controversy after liking a tweet that called Aston Martin F1 driver Lance Stroll autistic.

Bustamante's popularity has skyrocketed ever since she was signed by the Woking-based team. She will be representing the team in the 2024 F1 Academy season while racing for ART Grand Prix.

Along with the popularity the 18-year-old has gained in recent times, her critics have also become louder. Bustamante was recently tagged as "overrated" in a social media post that went viral.

A fan defended her in the comments with a passionate reply, that was liked by the McLaren driver. But the tweet, which has now been deleted, referenced Lance Stroll as "autism Stroll," and ridiculed him by saying he was a pay driver.

After it came to light that Bustamante had liked the insensitive tweet, there was plenty of backlash from the online community. She subsequently posted an apology but quickly deleted it, before issuing a new statement that read:

"I truly deeply apologise. I own up to my mistakes having liked an inappropriate tweet, I can't believe all the people whom I have hurt. I was scrolling and I 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 that is Autistic.

"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 apologize 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."

Bianca Bustamante apologized to the racing community and shared that her brother also suffered from the disability. She also stated that she never meant to disrespect Lance Stroll.

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McLaren driver Bianca Bustamante opens up about breaking the mold

Bianca Bustamante scripted history when she became the first female racer to join McLaren. The 18-year-old Filipina racer recently opened up about her journey into the motorsports world, and how difficult it is to do so as a native of the Philippines.

In a conversation with the Australian racing website Drive, she recalled how her relatives and friends discouraged her from choosing what she calls the "most unsafe career path ever." Bustamante said:

“But relatives and friends didn’t always see the whole picture. They would often tell me to dream less so you’ll achieve something in life, [which is] a common mentality that often Filipinos and [other] Asians still give to their friends, to their families, because in the end, they mean well. They want what’s best for you, and sometimes they don’t often support something that’s out of the box and uncommon.”

The McLaren recruit said she was grateful to her parents, who supported her passion for motorsports.