Australian rising talent Joanne Ciconte has reflected on the impact of her 2025 F1 Academy season, highlighting how much she learned from those around her, the role her teammates played in her development, and the growth the series has experienced, inspiring young female drivers across the world.
In an exclusive interview with Pit Debrief ahead of her 2026 season in Japan’s Kyojo Cup with KCMG, Ciconte pointed to her teammates as a key part of her progression throughout what was a pivotal learning year, while also recognising the work Susie Wolff has done in elevating the championship on the global stage.
Her 2025 season in F1 Academy
In her 2025 season, Ciconte raced with MP Motorsport, lining up alongside Alba Larsen and Maya Weug. While Larsen remains on the grid in 2026, Weug has finished her time in the category after finishing runner-up in the 2025 standings to Doriane Pin.
For Ciconte, having a teammate in F1 Academy with Weug’s level of experience was inspirational, especially given her own relatively limited single-seater background heading into the season.
“So valuable, I think Maya is, you know, as well as a teammate, she was such an inspiration. She just had so much experience, so much knowledge about the car and racing, and that was just really inspiring.”
“So, I think that I was able to actually gain a lot from her, and I think that, you know, being teammates with her, that really helped me learn and adapt quicker to the races and the car.”
Opportunities for women in motorsports
Beyond the on-track side, it was also a relationship that extended off track, something Ciconte made clear when reflecting on their season together.
“I was really privileged to be teammates with her, obviously apart from that, she was a great person, great friend, and I’m excited to race more with her in the future.”
Since concluding her F1 Academy campaign in 2025, Weug has continued to build momentum in her career, most notably getting behind the wheel of the Formula E Gen3 Evo mule car at the Miami E-Prix in 2026, where she completed exhibition laps ahead of the race.
Opportunities like this highlight the broader shift happening across the sport. Initiatives such as the Formula E Women’s Test, introduced as part of Formula E’s long-term commitment to improving diversity and equality in motorsport alongside the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, are creating clearer pathways for female drivers at every level, from grassroots karting through to the top tiers of international racing.
As a result, the continued growth of female participation in motorsport is not only increasing visibility, but also opening up more tangible opportunities for drivers like Weug to showcase their talent on a global stage.
The growth of F1 Academy in 2025
While Ciconte was in F1 Academy, the series continued its rapid growth across 2025, with increased visibility, stronger backing and a clearer pathway for female drivers looking to progress through the ranks of motorsport.
For the 2025 season, the championship expanded its grid to 18 cars, while continuing its wildcard initiative—first introduced in 2024—which allowed local talent to compete at selected rounds. The initiative not only strengthened the overall depth of the field, but also created real opportunities, with several wildcard drivers later securing full-time seats for the 2026 season.
Another major step came with the introduction of the series’ inaugural rookie test, held alongside official testing at the Circuito de Navarra. The test brought together the 2025 grid and 18 emerging drivers, giving them valuable track time and insight into a professional racing environment—something that plays a crucial role in developing the next generation of talent.
A key driver behind this growth has been managing director Susie Wolff, whose leadership continues to push the series further into the global spotlight.
“Again, I think F1 Academy has done really well to put a spotlight on the series, and put a spotlight not on just the series, but [also] the drivers. When I first started, there was no girls, and there was no publicity on motorsport and girls putting themselves out there.”
Increased visibility across the world
That push for exposure is clearly translating into results. F1 Academy’s fanbase grew by 31% year-on-year, while its social media following rose by 54%, reaching a combined total of 1.5 million followers across all platforms, driven largely by growth on YouTube.
This increased visibility is already driving a wider impact on the sport, encouraging more young girls to get involved and contributing to a noticeable growth in F1 Academy, which Ciconte believes has really worked in female engagement.
“But now, F1 Academy has really put a spotlight on us and female talent, and it’s been really, I think it’s worked because the female engagement in motorsport has increased so much. We’re seeing over 40 percent in female population in Formula One so that is that’s awesome to see.”
The series also took a major step into mainstream media with the release of F1: The Academy on Netflix in May 2025. The series gave fans behind-the-scenes access to the 2024 season, further boosting the profile of both the championship and its drivers.
Off track, F1 Academy has continued to expand commercially, ending 2025 with 13 official partners, further underlining its growing presence within the global motorsport landscape.
Wolff’s own racing background
Ciconte also highlighted Wolff’s own racing background as a key part of F1 Academy’s growth, describing her as someone the current generation can genuinely relate to and look up to.
“It’s just growing more, and more, and more, and I think that Susie’s doing awesome because she’s just done such a great job. She’s also a driver herself, so seeing someone like her, it’s really, she’s such an idol. You know, she’s such an inspiration, and I think she’s just done really well, and I think future for Formula One Academy will grow more, and more.”
With momentum continuing to build, Ciconte’s reflections not only highlight her own development across the 2025 season, but also underline the wider impact F1 Academy is having as it continues to create a stronger, more visible pathway for the next generation of female racing talent.
