Behind the wheel of her single-seater race car, Joanne Ciconte loves the thrill of carving a perfect racing line.
“When I’m going fast, everything around me slows down and I’m in my own world – because a slight distraction might decide whether I’m first or 10th in a race,” Joanne tells Woman’s Day.
“But it’s a pinch-me moment to feel the wind rush past your helmet. I love the sensation of speed!”
The 17-year-old from Melbourne is so fast and so good at racing, she’s qualified for and competed in multiple Formula 4 championships around the globe – all before getting her driver’s licence.
“I find it funny that I can do 260km/h down a straight, but can’t drive on the roads here,” Joanne laughs.
“But by the end of the year I should have my P plates.”
STEPPING STONE
Joanne first felt the need for speed when she was nine, watching her little brother Cosimo race go-karts.
“As a family we’d watch him practice and it was truly exciting,” she recalls.
“I remember begging my dad to let me have a drive one day. He brushed it off at first, as there weren’t many females in the sport, but I showed him how eager and determined I was, and I’m grateful I never let anything push me down.”
While Joanne admits she was initially frightened, she soon became obsessed and addicted to racing.
In 2024, Joanne made the switch to Formula 4, and a year later, she was one of two Australians who qualified for the F1 Academy – an all-female international racing championship, and a stepping stone to F1, where Joanne hopes to race with some of the world’s best drivers.
“My ultimate dream is to be Australia’s first female Formula 1 driver,” she says.
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“I’ve dreamed about it since I was little, and every day I’m a step closer to that goal.”
In the 2025 season, she raced for Dutch team MP Motorsport against 17 other drivers all over the world – from Shanghai to Miami, Montreal, Singapore, Las Vegas, Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands.
She placed 14th overall, and her best result was eighth place in Singapore.
Joanne points to fellow fast Aussies Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo as the F1 heroes she looks up to.
At the 2019 Melbourne Grand Prix, a nine-year-old Joanne escorted Daniel to the track as his grid kid.
“Danny and Oscar are amazing drivers and I still learn from them every day,” says Joanne.
SEEING SUCCESS
Joanne is competing in the Japanese Kyojo Cup this month – where she’s already seen success on the corners and straights of the legendary Fuji Speedway.
On May 9, Joanne placed second in the cup’s opening round – and she’s hoping that early success continues.
“I feel like I’ve changed so much as a driver in a really good way,” Joanne says.
“I had a good result for the first round and we’ll see for the next one!”
While she loves tearing up the race tracks at breakneck speeds, there’s a more modest milestone she’s really looking forward to – finally getting her driver’s licence.
“Once I do that, I’ll definitely be picking my friends up and going for a nice drive somewhere,” she says.
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