Bianca Bustamante's bid to compete in Formula 1 gained a major boost after signing up with Italian squad PREMA for a full-season Formula 1 program in the F1 Academy.

In a statement, the 18-year-old Bustamante expressed excitement to join PREMA and race in the F1 Academy, which is an "amazing initiative" for rising female talents in motorsports.

PREMA is considered to be one of the most successful teams in junior single-seater racing with years of experience working with rising talents.

It boasts an impressive roster of alumni who eventually graduated to F1, including Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly, Mick Schumacher, Guan-Yu Zhou and Antonio Giovinazzi

By working with PREMA, Bustamante will be equipped with all the tools necessary to enhance her drivability and unlock her full potential on the track.

A full season with the team focused on the F1 Academy puts her in the driving seat towards the highest levels of motorsport and her ultimate goal — the Formula 1.

"I am so excited to be racing in the F1 Academy with PREMA in 2023," Bustamante, who is competing for PREMA in the Formula 4 UAE Championship, said.

"The team is incredible and I have already learned so much in the short period of time I have been with the team at the F4 UAE Championship. The F1 Academy is an amazing initiative for rising female talent in motorsports and I am looking forward to seeing what I can achieve with PREMA."

PREMA team principal Rene Rosin welcomes Bustamante into the program.

"We are happy to announce Bianca for our new F1 Academy program," he said.

"We enjoy working together in the F4 UAE Championship and we feel there is great potential we can build on for the future."

"I think she will be an outstanding fit right from the start, especially considering what she was able to achieve in her first experiences, and we are determined to provide her with our best support."

The inaugural F1 Academy season is set to feature seven events — likely to include one F1 weekend — comprising three races each for a total of 21 races, as well as 15 days of official testing.