2 days ago
F1 Academy driver Joanne Ciconte blazing a trail for Australian girls in motor racing
At just 16 years of age, Joanne Ciconte is living life in the fast lane.
The Melbourne-born teenager spends a significant portion of her life on planes, travelling around the world in pursuit of speed.
Ciconte is the youngest driver in this year's F1 Academy, mixing it with some of the world's most talented female racers.
She joins Aiva Anagnostiadis as the first Australians to contest the all-female series, who will this year compete across three continents over seven race weekends.
A junior karting star who won the prestigious Pink Plate in 2023, Ciconte is in just her second year of single-seater motor racing.
Now she wrestles a car with a top speed of 240 kilometres per hour, which from a standing start reaches 100kph in 3.6 seconds.
"I think that this year has been a bit of a rollercoaster in the F1 Academy series," Ciconte told ABC Sport.
"Jumping into the field of many mixed-experience drivers and older girls is something different. I'm always used to driving against boys."
The series is in Montreal this weekend for the fourth weekend of the season.
The Aussie teen has had a troubled year so far on the track, plagued by incidents often out of her control.
But she does have a top 10 finish, which earned her two championship points, becoming the first Australian to achieve that feat in F1 Academy.
"I think my attitude this year has [been to] make sure to try and progress and learn as quick as I can," a positive Ciconte said ahead of this weekend.
"I believe the results will come from there."
The profile of the F1 Academy has grown year-on-year, with each round of this year's series being part of a Formula 1 weekend.
A new series on the entertainment streaming platform Netflix has recently been released.
The program, F1: The Academy, aims to attract new audiences, similar to what the popular program 'Drive to Survive' did for F1.
"What I'm most amazed about is how F1 Academy, and Susie Wolff (F1 Academy managing director), is doing such an amazing job bringing a spotlight on us female drivers," Ciconte said.
"I think it's great to see how more and more followers and supporters for the series has grown over the years."
As more eyes tune in to watch the women of the F1 Academy battle on track, the spotlight on each driver shines brighter.
For Ciconte, the growing spotlight has allowed her to become a role model for young girls in Australia starting in motorsport — something she is embracing as she continues her own journey.
"It's definitely part of the experience that I'm building in," she said.
"I do get reminders that there are a lot of younger generation girls who want to be in motorsport and aspire to be in the position that I am."
