Bringing together two Italian-born trailblazers, the partnership shines a spotlight on the rise of women breaking boundaries in engineering, motorsport, and space technology.
“Fleet Space and I share a deep love for technology, speed, and drive to push boundaries in high-performance STEM fields where women are underrepresented,” said F1 Academy driver Joanne Ciconte.
“I’m proud of my Italian heritage and thrilled to join forces with Flavia and the Fleet Space team. Their vision for the future of space exploration mirrors my own pursuit of performance on the track - powered by data, innovation, and exploration. Together, we’re proving that when you blend passion with precision, there is no limit to what the next-generation can achieve.”
From winning Australian Karting Championship Pink Plate to becoming the youngest driver on the 2025 F1 Academy grid after a single-seater debut season in Europe – Joanne’s journey to become one of the 18 fastest women on the planet is unlike any other in motorsports.
Her bold embrace of the new single-seater technology and data-driven learning has been a key accelerator for Joanne’s growth, delivering her first points at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia in April.
Co-Founder & CEO of Fleet Space, Flavia Tata Nardini, uniquely relates to Joanne’s meteoric rise in the F1 world.
Tata Nardini, an Italian aerospace engineer born and raised in Rome, started her career working on propulsion systems at the European Space Agency before founding Fleet Space and creating Australia’s first constellation of low Earth orbit satellites.
Beginning as a dream born while building satellites in the garage with Co-Founder & Chief Exploration Officer, Matt Pearson, Fleet Space has grown to Australia’s most valuable space exploration company (USD $550M), recently unveiled its new 5300m2+ global headquarters and advanced manufacturing facility, and plans to send its lunar seismic technology – SPIDER – to the Moon on Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 2.
Joanne Ciconte with Fleet Space helmet
“Joanne’s Italian spirit, her precision on the track, and her fearless embrace of innovation resonate deeply with me,” said Flavia Tata Nardini, Co-Founder & CEO of Fleet Space.
“Whether you’re engineering spacecraft or racing at 300km/h, success comes from the same mindset: push boundaries, trust in data, and never stop learning. As two Italian women building new paths and opportunities in space and motorsport, this partnership is about showing the next generation that heritage and ambition can take you anywhere - from the racetrack to the Moon, and beyond.”
“My grandparents were part of the wave of Italians who migrated to Australia after World War II, arriving in Melbourne in 1956,” said Ciconte.
“I feel incredibly lucky to have grown up so close to them, and even now in their mid 90s, they’re still with me. That connection means everything to me. Whenever I’m in Italy, it also feels like home. It’s in my blood—the people, the culture, the food—I love it all, and I’ll always honour that connection.”
Starting in 2026, Joanne will debut a custom-made Fleet Space helmet with the company's branding on the race suit, and gloves.
To learn more about Joanne and Flavia’s mindset, learnings, and experience breaking boundaries in high-performance STEM fields where women are traditionally underrepresented, check out their conversation on Fleet Space’s Beyond Discovery podcast series.
