Australian โคF1 โAcademy Driver Ciconteโฃ Eyes Zandvoort Success Despiteโฃ Financial Challenges
Zandvoort, Netherlands – Australian Formula 1 Academy driver Bianca Ciconte heads into this weekend’s races at the Zandvoort circuit aiming to build on recent momentum, despite facing notable โฃfinancial hurdles compared โฃto her competitors. Theโ first race is scheduled for 1am AEST on Sunday, August 31st.
ciconte,18,hasโ demonstrated increasing pace in the F1 Academy series,securing aโฃ pair of top-10 finishes,most recently at Montreal prior to โฃthe mid-year break. However, she acknowledges a disadvantage stemming from limited โopportunities for testing and track time due to financial constraints.
“Unfortunately, I haven’t hadโ the โfinancial opportunitiesโ to theโค other girls that I’m racing against, so it’sโ beenโข quite hard forโ me to jump into a car everyโ few months and be confident โขwith what I’m โฃdrivingโข and go to a new circuit that I haven’t driven on before,” Ciconteโค explained. “Soโฃ it’s โฃall about building โmy confidence as quick as Iโ canโฃ and realising and understanding the โขdetails that I’m getting provided by my engineer.”
The Zandvoort circuit presents a unique challenge for all drivers. Renowned for its banked corners – notably turns 3 and 16 – and undulating terrain, โคthe track offers a demanding โคand exhilarating โdriving experience. โขCiconteโข described theโค circuit as “fully different” and โlikened it to “a roller coaster, especially with โthe โคelevation changes,” โadding, “It feels like a roller coaster, especiallyโฃ with the elevation changes, but it’s an experience for sure.”
Ciconte participated in an โF1 Academyโค testing session โat Zandvoort last month, gaining โขvaluable experience โwith both the track and her car’s setup. She will be joined on the grid by fellow Australian racer, Aiva Anagnostiadis.
Background: โฃF1 Academy & Rising โฃFemale Talent
The F1โฃ Academy is a single-seaterโฃ motorsport โคchampionship โขlaunched in 2023 โฃaimed at identifying and nurturing โขyoung female drivers, providing a pathway towardsโ Formula 1. The series is designed to offer equal opportunities and support for aspiring femaleโ racers, addressing theโฃ historicalโ under-representation ofโฃ women in top-levelโ motorsport. The championship is officially โsanctioned by the FIAโ and supported byโข Formula โค1,โฃ with the ultimate goal of increasing female participation inโ the sport. drivers compete in standardized Tatuus F4-T421 โคchassis powered by โAutotecnica engines.
The seriesโฃ is gaining prominence as a crucial stepping stone for female โdrivers hoping to break into the highly competitive โขworld ofโฃ Formula 1, and the performance ofโ drivers like โคCiconte and Anagnostiadisโฃ is attracting increasing attention.
For more information on the F1 Academy,you can contact abcsport5050@your.abc.net.au. You can also listen to the ABC Sport Daily podcast for more sports news and analysis.