The Australian wrapped up her rookie campaign last month in Las Vegas, closing out a milestone year in which she became the youngest driver to contest the all-female series and the only Australian to complete the full season, with compatriot Aiva Anagnostiadis sidelined for the final two rounds by foot surgery.
Ciconte finished 14th in the standings with eight points, recording four top-10 results, including points-scoring drives in Saudi Arabia, Canada and Singapore.
She added another 10th place in the opening race at Las Vegas after qualifying 11th, before an early clash with wildcard Payton Westcott cut her final race to just two laps.
Looking back on the year, Ciconte told Speedcafe she leaves her rookie season proud of the progress she made despite limited preparation.
“As a driver we always hope for more,” she said.
“But I think if I look at the positives, I can take back so much on my first season in F1 Academy. I learned so so much.”
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Arriving in the championship with only four prior race starts left her on the back foot, but she said competing alongside title-contending team-mate Maya Weug accelerated her development.
“Being in a team with a title contender helps me develop as a driver,” she explained.
“Experiencing some of the best and widely known F1 Grands Prix around the world and having that opportunity is surreal.
“Being only 16, to participate in that, it’s very nervewracking and that’s something I’ve had to overcome and know how to handle.”
Ciconte said every session contributed to her growth.
“Every single lap I’ve put down, I’ve learned so much. So again it just adds so much experience under my belt,” she explained.
“Unfortunately this year I only came to the F1 Academy series with only four races, so that’s been really, really hard for me as a driver to overcome that and just take every opportunity as I can.”
Among the biggest highlights were the championship’s street circuits, which she said offered some of the most memorable moments of her campaign.
“I think as a driver in street tracks, still something that everyone can experience. I think that was pretty phenomenal to drive on,” she said.
“Experiencing a street track, it requires that little notch of more concentration. So having to deal with that at Jeddah, which is the fastest street circuit in the world, that was probably one of my standouts.”
She added that Singapore also ranked among her favourites for its technical demands, while the atmosphere at Vegas and Zandvoort left a strong impression.
“A place like Vegas with the atmosphere and Zandvoort with that crazy atmosphere, it’s such a cool experience and I’m really excited to go back there one day and again.”
With her rookie year complete, attention now shifts to 2026. Ciconte said discussions are ongoing, with several exciting avenues under review.
“There’s so many exciting opportunities out on the table that we’re having a look at,” she said.
“Nothing’s fully confirmed yet, but anything that I do next year, all my options will be really exciting for me as a driver.”
Her season concluded as Mercedes junior Doriane Pin sealed the 2025 F1 Academy title over Weug, while Anagnostiadis — despite missing three rounds — logged two eighth-place finishes earlier in the year to end the season 17th on five points.
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