MP Motorsport F1 Academy teammates Maya Weug, Alba Larsen and Joanne Ciconte formed an unlikely but powerful partnership. Ferrari driver, Maya Weug sits third in the standings with four podiums including one win. She is paired with the two youngest drivers on the grid, Tommy Hilfiger’s Alba Larsen and Wella’s Joanne Ciconte. A recent team interview revealed chemistry that went far beyond professional courtesy.
From Maranello to the Grid
The trio’s connection predated their current team arrangement. It rooted back to the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars programme in 2023. “We knew each other before, so it was really nice to see that we were going to be teammates,” Larsen explained. “We all met each other at Maranello,” Weug added.
Ciconte recalled the key details: “Yeah, we met each other for the Ferrari Girls on Track programme (in 2023). Me and Alba were in the scouting camp for the Girls on Track programme and Maya was there at Maranello.” Maya Weug, who was already established, clarified: “I was already part of the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy.”
The foundation strengthened over time among the MP Motorsport F1 Academy teammates. “We kept in contact for the past year and it was really nice to see that we were going to be teammates. I feel like we have the best…” Larsen paused, allowing Ciconte to finish: “Connection?”
“Yeah, I feel like we have a really good team,” Larsen continued. Joanne Ciconte explained their dynamic: “We all learn something from each other, we all get along and we’re all friends. It’s good to have competition and friendship.” Alba Larsen emphasized their mutual support: “I feel like we can push each other.”
One-Word Descriptions
When asked to describe each other in one word, the MP Motorsport F1 Academy teammates revealed their deep understanding. Weug characterized her colleagues precisely: “Alba, stylish. And Joanne, not funny but more like playful. Entertaining?”
The younger drivers saw Weug differently. “Maya is like the big sister,” Larsen observed. Ciconte described her as: “Maya is independent. She’s strong and independent.”
The playful dynamic emerged when Weug deadpanned: “You’re calling me old!” Ciconte quickly clarified: “No no, independence has nothing to do with age! It’s a very good trait to be independent.”
Larsen added depth to her assessment: “You’re very professional as well, but underneath you’re very funny.” Ciconte continued describing Larsen: “Independent is like you’re strong, you can do things by yourself. Alba is… I don’t know how to describe her. I have so many things like funny, fun, friend, all these things. Alba is fun. You guys are both fun!”
The session concluded with Larsen’s observation: “I feel like we’re a funny team.”
Rookie impressions
Despite being rookies, both Larsen and Ciconte impressed their more experienced teammate. Specifically, Weug recalled a particularly memorable Qualifying session.
“I think Qualifying in Shanghai was pretty strong for both of them. I was quite happy because I asked on the radio,” Weug explained. She continued saying she “knew [she] was P1, and [then] asked where Alba and Joanne were. When they said P3 and P6 [she] was like ‘damn!’. It’s been really good. They’ve shown the pace.”
Weug concluded: “We’re working well together and it’s good to push each other.”
Youngest on the grid
Being the youngest drivers on the grid brought unique challenges and opportunities. Ciconte offered a mature perspective on their position. “It’s neither a disadvantage nor an advantage. Being in Formula 1, it’s best being as young as possible, so coming up the ranks at a young age and experiencing different things at a young age benefits us a lot. When you’re in a field of girls who are a little bit older and have more experience, naturally that could be a bit of a disadvantage. It also benefits us from learning different references.”
Larsen acknowledged the preconceptions they faced as young drivers. “Sometimes people can have an assumption about you. I feel like when I first started in F1 Academy, maybe people thought ‘she’s too young and too inexperienced’, but then I proved them wrong and showed that I belong here. I think it’s not that much of an advantage and sometimes a disadvantage that we don’t have the experience. We learn quickly and we have fought for our places here.”
A humorous dynamic
Humor played a central role in the MP Motorsport teammates’ dynamic. Immediately, Weug identified: “Joanne is the crazy one in the team.” Ciconte provided self-analysis: “We’re all funny in our own way. I’m probably more wildly extroverted. Maya is just funny in how she’s perceived as professional but she’s very funny randomly.”
“Without doing anything, she’s just funny,” Larsen agreed. “She’s got a sense of humour,” Ciconte added. Weug responded characteristically: “That’s my dad’s sense of humour. It’s horrible!”
Cultural differences added flavor to their comedy. “I feel like I’m funny but only in Danish. I have Danish humour but it’s hard to translate it,” Larsen explained. Ciconte observed their different styles: “Alba at times won’t even try to be funny, but the way she says things or interprets things is funny. We’re all funny in different ways.”
The connection between certain teammates was particularly strong. “Me and Joanne, sometimes when I just look at her I cannot stop laughing,” Larsen revealed.
Memorable moments highlighted their humor. Weug recalled: “I remember the first day of the sim was so bad. We were sitting there, the whole team was having lunch and there was a small dog. They started laughing and they were almost crying and I was just sitting there like ‘great, I’m going to have a fun year’.”
Ciconte described their uncontrollable sessions: “There have been many times when me and Alba have got those consistent laughs and you just can’t stop. The moment just takes forever to stop.” Larsen added with concern: “I feel like it’s going to be dangerous at some point but it’s good fun!”
Time spent with engineers
Professional dedication varied among the trio. When asked who spent most time with their engineer, both Larsen and Ciconte immediately responded: “Maya!” Weug confirmed: “Definitely. I text him in the week all about run plans or data or stuff, so I think definitely me.”
Shared Memories
Shared experiences bonded the MP Motorsport F1 Academy teammates together. Weug made a comment directed to Larsen: “You should have come to Shanghai, to the centre.”. Ciconte agreed: “Shanghai was fun,”
Larsen explained their coordination challenges: “We always try to do stuff together but I can’t always go, so they’re always doing stuff. I feel like Oakberry is also a great memory.” Ciconte elaborated: “We got Oakberry early in the morning.” Weug added context: “Her mum brought Oakberry to the test in Jeddah for the whole team.”
The difficulty of group activities was evident. “We can never hang out or have a photo of all of us three girls. Me and Alba will do something, or me and Maya are doing something,” Ciconte noted. Weug identified the usual culprit: “It’s usually Alba who is too busy in life!” Ciconte teased: “Too stylish mate!”
The driver with the best helmet and livery
Visual aesthetics mattered to the teammates. Weug appreciated Larsen’s design sense: “I think Alba’s helmet and car match really well. I like that it’s classy.” The Ferrari connection provided natural appeal. “Maya is Ferrari so…” Ciconte began. “It’s always going to look good,” Weug finished.
“Everybody looks good in red. I would say my helmet matches quite well with my car,” Larsen acknowledged. Ciconte appreciated her own presentation: “I really like the flag because in photos and pictures it looks like the flag is kind of in motion. I think all of our helmets match with the cars and it’s really nice.”
Weug categorized their individual styles: “Alba has the stylish one. I have the Ferrari red and blue. Joanne has the colourful one. That’s the word (to describe you)!” Ciconte protested: “I’m not colourful, what are you talking about? I’m literally wearing black!”
“No, as a soul,” Weug clarified. This sparked playful banter: “I’m colourful. You may as well call me beautiful at this point Maya!” Weug deflected: “That’s what Alba is for, that’s not me.”
The smartest amongst the trio
Intelligence manifested differently among the MP Motorsport teammates. Ciconte immediately nominated: “Alba.” After Larsen thanked her, Ciconte explained: “Alba is just unintentionally smart. Like in the Kahoot, she just listens and prioritises reading everything. We all have to, but her memory with knowledge is better than mine. I’m probably not the smartest. I can be if I try, but…” Weug interjected: “You said it!”
Larsen redirected praise to racing intelligence: “In racing, all of Maya’s knowledge, experience and how you go in professionally into a race weekend — you’re smart in that way.” Weug apologized playfully: “I’m sorry Joanne!”
Ciconte defended her academic abilities: “You guys never see me in a serious situation where I’m studying for an exam.” Weug responded: “I can’t imagine you studying for school.” Ciconte insisted: “Trust me, I am smart! In school, I was smart. No one believes I’m smart, everyone just sees me as a fun person. No one sees the smart, focused side of me. It’s the Australian in me, what can I say.”
The most annoying habits
Honest assessment revealed the MP Motorsport teammates’ minor flaws. After some hesitation, Weug noted their delay: “That took long, you could have been much quicker (replying) like before!”
Ciconte pointed out: “The fact that Alba’s always busy.” Larsen countered: “I can’t hang out with you guys, I’m too busy sometimes. I think you guys are a bit messy in the fridge.” “Maya’s messy!” Ciconte declared.
Weug defended herself: “I just have a lot of stuff.” “Yeah and it’s a bit all over the place,” Larsen elaborated. Ciconte tried deflecting: “I’m not messy. You can think of a different one for me.”
Volume became an issue: “You’re loud,” Weug stated. Larsen added context: “You’re a bit loud sometimes. Most of the time it’s nice. Sometimes when we have to be serious, it’s annoying that I cannot stop laughing at you.”
After their discussion, Weug observed: “So it’s only me being messy!” Ciconte defended the criticism: “That’s not even rude, that’s something you can fix. I’m loud, it’s a bad habit I didn’t realise.” Weug added: “Alba is always late.”
The state of punctuality between the drivers
Punctuality varied among the MP Motorsport teammates. When asked who was most likely to be late, Larsen admitted reluctantly: “I wouldn’t say me but…” Weug then directed a comment to Ciconte: “You are as well, in Shanghai. First day at the race.”
Ciconte acknowledged Weug’s professionalism: “Maya’s just very professional when it comes to these things. She’s there on the dot for everything.” Weug explained simply: “I’m just Dutch.”
The educational experience
The educational aspect proved crucial for the MP Motorsport teammates. “We learn a lot from Maya,” Larsen acknowledged. Ciconte expanded: “Maya is like the big sister in the friend group. We learn a lot driving-wise, and she’s very mature so when we go out with her we pick up different traits from each other.”
Weug valued their lighter influence: “I think it’s nice that we have fun, you know? It’s not something we’ve learned but it helps with the performance, having fun with your teammates and not being annoyed at each other.”
Larsen appreciated technical knowledge transfer: “We can have fun but also I learn a lot both from your data and how you go into a race weekend. You’re very professional. You write your notes and stuff like that.”
Ciconte emphasized mental health benefits: “As drivers, we have a lot of pressure and things to focus on. When we get our own time in the box we can have a chat. It’s good to unwind, have a talk and be friends.”
Weug admitted areas for improvement: “I need to learn about how photogenic you are, both of you.” “I’m not photogenic,” Ciconte protested. “Come on! This is something I cannot learn but it’s fine,” Weug insisted.
Dedication to training
Training dedication differed among the MP Motorsport teammates. “Maya spends the most time in the gym, definitely. I don’t know who for the sim,” Larsen observed. Meanwhile, “I don’t even have a sim at home,” Ciconte admitted.
“I spend quite a lot of time on the sim,” Weug confirmed. Larsen explained her situation: “I have one at home so I spend some time there. I’m not home that much.” Ciconte concluded: “I reckon Maya for both. I don’t know about Alba — I heard that you don’t use your sim!”
Larsen then clarified: “I use it, but I’m not home that much so I don’t have time to use it. I go to the gym but Maya definitely goes more”.
A friendship built of respect, and good qualities
The foundation of their partnership rested on mutual respect among the MP Motorsport teammates. Ciconte identified their common ground: “All of us are very pure, kind and fun.” Weug emphasized communication: “And direct — we can be direct towards each other. I think that’s good.”
Larsen explained their competitive balance: “Honesty. Another good thing is that we can fight on the track but we can switch.” “And we still respect each other,” Weug added.
Ciconte summarized their foundation: “I think we all have a lot of respect for each other as friends and teammates.” Larsen concluded: “We can be professional but we can also be very friendly.”
Karting challenges
Future competition intrigued the MP Motorsport teammates when asked who would win in a karting race. Ciconte showed her competitive spirit: “If it was rental karting, I’d push both of you off the track, easy! I never did any karting overseas, I just stayed in Australia. I was pretty good in Australia so I don’t know.”
Weug acknowledged their lack of shared experience: “We haven’t raced against each other at all in karting so it’s a bit difficult to judge. We have to do it this year.”
A complete partnership
The MP Motorsport teammates represented more than just professional colleagues. Their combination of respect, humor, honest communication, and genuine friendship created optimal conditions. Each driver could thrive while pushing others to excel.
Their story demonstrated that garage relationships often translated to track performance. For the MP Motorsport teammates, off-track chemistry clearly contributed to their F1 Academy success. The best teams are built on talent and genuine human connection.
