Joanne Ciconte may have been the youngest driver on the 2025 F1 Academy grid, but she came a long way from where she began in regional and national competitions back home in Australia.
In an exclusive interview with Pit Debrief, the young Australian detailed her early beginnings in karting, rapid progression through the ranks at a young age, and the challenges of competing on the global stage alongside Formula 1.
From the sidelines to the driver’s seat
Ciconte’s journey into motorsport began at just nine years old, sparked not by a lifelong plan, but by something much closer to home. Watching her younger brother compete in karting, what started as simply supporting him quickly turned into something more. The speed, intensity and atmosphere of the sport immediately stood out, and it wasn’t long before she wanted to experience it for herself.
“I started racing at the age of nine years old and I started in go-karts and I basically, my passion started because I [saw] that my younger brother was go-karting himself and it was just really inspirational and so exciting to see him do go-karting,” she explained.
Like many drivers, she began her career in karting, entering a motorsport environment that has long lacked female representation, particularly at the grassroots level. Rather than deterring her, it made the opportunity mean even more.
“You know, go-karting is not an average sport that you can do in your backyard so I was really just sparked by the speed and the adrenaline and obviously I begged, kind of my dad, to have a turn in the go-kart because back then there was no females in go-karting.”
Once she finally got behind the wheel, everything clicked.
“So, for him it was a bit of a jump to see that I had interest in the sport but eventually I got that opportunity to have a turn in the go-kart and I fell in love with it completely.”
Her career gained momentum
From that moment on, things progressed quickly. What began as a first taste of karting soon developed into something far more serious, as both Ciconte and her family recognised the level of passion and commitment she had for the sport.
“So that was back in around 2019-2018 and from then it just started getting quite competitive. I think my dad and I kind of realised that I really loved go-karting, and I started racing club levels, and that escalated to state and then national level.”
As her career began to build from club competition through to national events, it became clear that her passion was no longer just a hobby—but the early stages of a pathway into professional motorsports. One of her early successes was in 2023, where she claimed the Australian Karting Championship Pink Plate, establishing herself as one of the country’s most promising young drivers.
A breakthrough — FIA Girls on Track
Ciconte’s first taste of single-seater machinery on her journey to F1 Academy came through the FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars programme. Run in partnership with the Ferrari Driver Academy, the initiative aims to identify and nurture young female talent on a global scale.
Ciconte stood out among 150 applicants worldwide to become one of just eight finalists invited to Italy for an intensive evaluation process, where she gained valuable experience working with PREMA Racing.
“Then the first time I went into a Formula 4 car was when I did the Ferrari Driver Girls on Track programme, which was with PREMA, so that was also a privilege to race with the PREMA team as well for my first time,” she said. “It was a programme with 150 girls worldwide who put an application to participate and from those 150 girls only 8 got chosen.”
The programme tested drivers across multiple disciplines, from physical and mental strength to on-track performance and decision-making.
“So, it was a very little number of females participating in this programme, and then those eight girls had to fly to Italy to participate in this shootout. They tested us on physical and mental strength, also with our performance when driving, and that obviously involves like reaction time and decision-making skills.”
“Which was all quite new for me, because of course go-karting is kind of the baby steps, but Formula 4 it’s just a new level. You know, all that kind of intensifies and the level just gets so much more competitive.”
“Which was all quite new for me, because of course go-karting is kind of the baby steps, but Formula 4 it’s just a new level.”
Building a pathway in motorsport
Her performances saw her progress into the final four, earning a trip to Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit and catching the attention of key figures in the sport.
“Then after that stage they chose four girls from the eight, so I was chosen as one of the four. So, we went to the Fiorano [Maranello Ferrari] circuit, the Ferrari headquarters.”
After her success in the programme, ProRacing Motorsport Academy selected Ciconte to join its ranks under the guidance of former Formula 1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella and GT racer Marco Cioci, marking a significant step in her development pathway.
“So again, that was an awesome experience, and then from then I got picked up by a management team which is held by Giancarlo Fisichella and Marco Cioci, former Formula 1 driver and GT winner, a GT champion so that’s kind of how my journey began in motorsport.”
Stepping onto the F1 Academy stage
In 2025, Ciconte was the youngest driver on the F1 Academy grid, entering the series with minimal experience on her journey in Formula racing. Only having limited single-seater experience, she embraced the opportunity to compete at the highest level of female motorsport.
“It was actually incredible, because I did only you know, I could count how many races in Formula I did before actually participating in the F1 Academy. So, I had very little experience, but I was still so dedicated.”
During the season she raced with MP Motorsport, alongside Alba Larsen and Maya Weug. Her standout result in 2025 came in Singapore’s Race 2, where she secured a P8 finish, demonstrating her ability to compete against more experienced drivers.
“It was an actual, it was a dream to participate in Formula 1 Academy, and to be involved and in the field for the 2025 season was awesome.”
She also took pride in representing Australia on the international stage.
“It was just such a thrilling feeling, because it was quite shocking, because I only previously did around five races, so to be part of the biggest global female talent series there is was incredible, and it was just definitely a step up in my journey for motor racing. But yeah, I was also so happy to represent Australia out on the global stage.”
Challenges within F1 Academy
Ciconte acknowledged that her journey on the F1 Academy rookie season came with significant challenges, particularly adapting to new cars, circuits, and conditions.
“Yeah, for sure I think with every race that I do whether it’s in the F1 Academy or outside of the F1 Academy, I know that I’m going to observe a challenge.“
“There’s always going to be a challenge that’s going to occur and that’s why being a driver it’s really important to know how to adapt to tracks situations, like weather conditions, so it’s kind of our job being able to adapt quickly.”
Adapting to the global stage
However, the scale of F1 Academy—racing at some of the world’s biggest Grands Prix—introduced a new level of pressure.
Ciconte said: “Whether it’s also the car as well, so everything was quite new, and of course what kind of took me the most by surprise was the pressure and that level because racing at some of the biggest Grands Prix around the world so that kind of took me by surprise.”
Even so, Ciconte embraced the experience, viewing it as a key step in her development. She emphasised adaptability as one of the most crucial skills for any driver.
“Yeah, so it’s kind of our job as a driver to adapt, because obviously we’re experiencing new tracks, new cars, weather conditions, so being adaptable is probably one of the biggest strengths as a driver.”
“So, that was just a new experience for me, and I think what caught me by surprise was just the pressure levels racing obviously alongside some other female talents in the field, but being at some of the biggest Formula One Grand Prix’s around the world that was quite awesome but it was just such a thrilling experience as well.”
From grassroots karting to the global stage of F1 Academy, Ciconte’s journey reflects both rapid progression and resilience. With her ability to adapt and a clear passion for the sport, she continues to establish herself as one of Australia’s most exciting young prospects in motorsport. Her 2026 season sees her step up to the Kyojo Cup with KCMG, the all-female racing series, which puts her only a few steps away from Super Formula.
