AIVA ANAGNOSTIADIS & JOANNE CICONTE Make History as First Aussies in F1 Academy

March 13, 2025

by MIchael Doyle // from www.abc.net.au

• AIVA ANAGNOSTIADIS and JOANNE CICONTE are breaking new ground as Australia’s first representatives in F1 Academy, with the 17-year-old ANAGNOSTIADIS joining Hitech Grand Prix for the 2025 season starting in China. The teenagers are stepping into a series designed to create genuine pathways to Formula 1 – something we haven’t seen a woman achieve in over 50 years.
• ANAGNOSTIADIS made the classic athlete’s choice between competing passions, choosing racing over national-level dancing after a dramatic qualifying session where she made the cut by just two minutes before catching a red-eye flight to dance nationals. Her parents finally said pick one – and we’re all benefiting from that decision as she transitions from Australian karting to the international F1 Academy stage.
• The timing couldn’t be better, with Australian F1 crowds showing that rare 50-50 male-female split that ANAGNOSTIADIS notes is almost unique globally. She’s already experiencing the star treatment from young fans, and with 72,000 people packing Albert Park just for support series action, the visibility boost for women’s racing is real and measurable – exactly what F1 Academy was designed to deliver.

albert park, all-female f1 academy, formula 1, hitech grand prix