Two teenagers have just made local motorsport history by becoming the first Australian women to compete in the all-female F1 Academy series for 2025.
Joining the grid for the first time, Aiva Anagnostiadis and Joanne Ciconte will debut for Hitech TGR and MP Motorsport respectively, after securing their hotly-contested seats for the upcoming season.
Leading the local charge, 17-year-old Anagnostiadis became the first Australian to be announced back in February, ahead of the season opener set to take off from Shanghai on March 21.
Beginning her racing career at the age of six on the karting circuit, Anagnostiadis’ passion for the sport only increased over the years as she stacked up podium finishes. Taking home the title at the Australian Ladies Trophy in 2021, she went on to compete at 2022 Motorsport Games in France before transitioning to car racing in 2024, where she placed 10th in her debut season.
Speaking about her next career move, Anagnostiadis said: “I’m beyond excited for the 2025 season! This is an amazing opportunity, and working with a team like Hitech GP and a sponsor like TAG Heuer is a dream come true.
“I’m ready to chase my goals, and fight for every opportunity to win!”
Amazingly, the rising star will be joined by Ciconte – another Australian making her F1 Academy start this season.
The 16-year-old Ciconte joins the grid as the youngest driver in this year’s line-up, off the back of an incredible 2024 European season where she transitioned to single-seaters with appearances in the Central European Zone F4 Championship, Spanish F4 and Formula Winter Series.
“To be able to race in front of large crowds and the Formula 1 stars during Grand Prix weekends is a dream come true,” said Ciconte of her upcoming debut. “And to be able to do that with such an experienced team like MP Motorsport is all I could ask for.”
The rookies will be joining four other brand new drivers and returning racers as part of the 18-car line up.
Not only is this year the most ambitious since the Academy’s founding, but it also coincides with the much-anticipated release of the multi-part docuseries set to premiere on Netflix.
The news serves to emphasise just how much of an impact the sport’s growing female fanbase – which accounts for 40 per cent – has had on its global viewership. A phenomenon that’s been accelerated since the global success of shows like Drive To Survive, leading to a groundswell of momentum that can no longer be ignored.
Below, everything you need to know about the upcoming F1 Academy docuseries.
What Is The F1 Academy?
The F1 Academy is the all-female single seater racing series headed up by Formula 1 icon and managing director, Susie Wolff. Entering its third season, the Academy began as a way to accelerate action and provide a practical pathway for female talent in an industry that has largely been dominated by men.
“We can be very proud of what we’ve achieved in a short space of time, but this was always a long-term project,” says Wolff. “We need to see more young girls in karting and they’re calling it ‘the F1 Academy effect’.
“I’ve never seen so many young girls in karting and that – for me – is just as important as the success of the series because we need to inspire the next generation. We need to get more young women racing for the best to rise to the top.”
The program is open to young women from the age of 16 to 25, and is aimed at mentoring, supporting new drivers, in tandem with the F1, to foster an environment that harnesses the growing number of talented female drivers.
When Will The F1 Academy Docuseries Be Released?
In light of the program’s success and Wolff’s own drive to break down existing barriers in the elite sport, a new partnership with Netflix aims to capitalise on the Drive To Survive phenomenon, and bring the behind-the-scenes world of the F1 Academy to a global stage.
“We want to be the rocket fuel that drives female participation in our sport, both on and off the track. To have the F1 Academy docuseries launch globally with Netflix is not just a huge step forward in visibility for our mission, but also a resounding statement about the momentum and demand for women’s sport,” says Wolff of the upcoming show.
“We want to inspire and empower the next generation of young women, and Netflix will open up F1 Academy to a global audience of existing and future fans.”
In exciting news, the series will be produced by Reese Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine, and will delve into the adrenaline-high world of competitive motorsport in ways that have never been shown at this scale before.
“As these dynamic and fearless drivers break barriers behind the wheel, we are excited to partner with Netflix to tell the stories of these powerhouse leaders. What we know is that when we put women at the centre, people show up to watch,” says Witherspoon of the ground-breaking new series.
While Netflix hasn’t given us an exact release date, given Season 7 of Drive To Survive has only just dropped, we can only assume it’s coming later in the year.
Where To Watch From Australia
Like Drive To Survive, you’ll be able to catch all the behind-the-scenes F1 Academy docuseries action on Netflix.
While we wait for the series start date to be announced, you can catch up on all seven seasons of the Formula One favourite – streaming now.
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