17-year-old Joanne Ciconte made her F1 Academy debut this season, joining the 2025 F1 Academy grid with MP Motorsport. The Australian driver was one of the first to represent her nation in the F1 Academy series. Prior to her debut in the all-female series, she had an impressive career in karting. The Australian driver was later even selected as a top-four finalist for the 2023 FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars programme
However, Ciconte did not have the rookie season she was hoping to have. After ten rounds of the 2025 F1 Academy calendar, Ciconte finished 14th in the Drivers’ Standings with 8 points to her name. The 2025 F1 Academy season would be one of highs and lows for the Australian rookie. It would also serve as a true test of her resilience.
Challenging debut
Ciconte made her series debut on track at Round 1 of the 2025 F1 Academy season in Shanghai. The weekend started with an impressive performance from the Australian with a P6 finish in Qualifying. However, despite starting 3rd on the reverse-grid for Race 1, Ciconte slipped down to P9 following the safety car restart.
The Australian’s efforts to climb back into the points became futile after she was handed a 10-second penalty, which was issued for a starting procedure infringement. The Australian served the penalty behind the third Safety Car of the race and was subsequently handed a second 10-second stop-go penalty for failing to serve the first one correctly. Ciconte would end her debut race in P14.
The disappointment would only continue into Race 2, where Ciconte faced her first DNF of the season. Her debut weekend would come to an early end after she made contact with Chole Chong.
Maiden points in Jeddah
The following racing weekend in Jeddah would end on a higher note for Ciconte. After Qualifying P11, she would go on to finish in the same position after an uneventful Race 1. However, Race 2 was much more rewarding for the Australian after a hard-fought P9 finish. This awarded Ciconte with her maiden points in F1 Academy.
A season of disappointment and redemption
There was a clear pattern of Ciconte’s debut season in F1 Academy, and it was one of repeated disappointments followed by minor redemptions.
The 2025 F1 Academy Miami GP weekend ended once again in frustration for the Australian. After a tough and disheartening P17 finish in Qualifying, the Australian driver was looking for redemption. Starting towards the back of the grid, she was in search of a redemption drive up through the field. However, Race 1 would only end in a heartbreaking DNF. Ciconte brought out the third safety car of the race after her three-wide battle with Chloe Chong and Nicole Havrda. This resulted in yet another early end of Ciconte.
However, things would start looking up for Ciconte once again in Montreal. The 2025 F1 Academy Canadian GP weekend followed a more unique schedule with three races instead of the usual two. Race 1 of the Canadian GP weekend served as a replacement for Race 2 in Miami.
Race 1 had Ciconte starting towards the back of the grid in P17. Her race would end prematurely once again after making contact with Courtney Crone. However, for Races 2 and 3, the grid was set based on Montreal’s Qualifying results, placing Ciconte 11th on the starting grid.
A chaotic Race 2 and a safety car restart saw the Australian cross the line in P15. Despite the disappointments from the first two races of the weekend, Ciconte stayed focused as her efforts were paid off with a well-fought P9 finish. This marked her return to the points.
Impressive performance in Singapore
The 2025 F1 Academy Singapore GP would prove to be another exciting and challenging track for Ciconte to tackle in her debut season. The Marina Bay Circuit is notorious for being one of the most physically demanding tracks on the season’s calendar. The country’s extremely hot and humid conditions, combined with the tight corners of the street circuit makes it a true test of resilience and grit for the drivers.
This would be an exciting challenge for Ciconte, who has never driven in such conditions before and was new to the track. Considering these factors, she produced an impressive result in Qualifying that was enough for P12 on the grid. Race 1 was rather uneventful for Ciconte as she only managed to improve up a place, finishing in P11. On the other hand, a wet and eventful Race 2 saw Ciconte finish in her highest position of the season in P8 after the safety car restart.
Disappointing season finale
After a tough debut season filled with highs and lows, Ciconte was looking to end it on a high note at the season finale in Las Vegas. The Australian driver managed a 11th-place finish during Qualifying and would later finish Race 1 in the same position. Unfortunately, her debut season in F1 Academy would end the same way her season started. The season finale would end in frustration for Ciconte, as she scored no points and retired from Race 2. It was yet another early end to her weekend after a collision with Wild Card entry Payton Westcott sent both drivers spinning out.
While Ciconte may not have had the debut campaign she hoped for, the Australian driver should still be proud of the results, considering her limited single-seater experience. Despite being the youngest driver on the 2025 grid, she has persevered through the season of hardships. The off-season will be a good opportunity for Ciconte to improve on her shortcomings before her second season in the all-female series.
