Time for a Shift:  TAG Heuer’s Newest Driver Is Changing the Game

For 17-year-old Australian Aiva Anagnostiadis, racing isn’t just about going fast in circles – it’s about making noise in all the right ways. Tearing around tracks at breakneck speeds, her car proudly carries the message: “This isn’t a man’s world.” Not just a slogan – a whole mission.

All images are courtesy of Tag Heuer

In a sport that’s long been a boys’ club, Anagnostiadis is carving out space for a new wave of female talent. She’s part of a powerhouse group of young women in the F1 Academy – a single-seater championship built to launch women further into the fast lane of Formula racing.

Making her debut this year, Anagnostiadis also makes history as the first Aussie to join the grid, racing with Hitech Grand Prix. And backing her every step (and split second) of the way? TAG Heuer, the timing legends of F1, doing what they do best: championing young voices and giving them the push they deserve.

She’s driving on the edge of fear and focus – not just chasing podiums, but pushing for progress. And now, Netflix is stepping in to turn up the volume. Their new docuseries F1: The Academy dives into the drama, the grind, and the glory. Think Drive to Survive, but with more girl power and just as much grit.

We caught up with Anagnostiadis to talk fast cars, big dreams, and what it means to have TAG Heuer in her corner.

Time for a Shift:  TAG Heuer’s Newest Driver Is Changing the Game

What is the mentality of a race weekend, what kind of motions do you go through and what headspace do you have to get in for that? 

Aiva: As drivers, we all have our regimes before the race, you know, from the warm ups to getting into the car and settling. But ‘m still trying to work out the best routine for me because it is so early in my Formula career. Before my first race in China, I just didn’t sleep. I was rocking back and forth with excitement knowing I was going onto the track the next day. The first time I was on that grid, there were famous people walking down, taking photos with your car, all of the sponsors…everyone. It gets hectic and I think especially as a rookie, you’re sitting there for 20 minutes before the race trying to stay focused and not get jittery before the lights go out. But I’m slowly getting there. But I think about it now, and if I didn’t have this seat, I wouldn’t be racing. I would’ve gone back to Australia and probably be with my old karting team. This is such a big opportunity for me and my family who have sacrificed so much. 

That seat was made possible by TAG Heuer who are sponsoring you for this position. What does that mean to you?

TAG Heuer has been amazing. My knowledge with watchmaking started to develop when I was in China, for the first race. I went to a pop-up with watchmakers and of course had a go at it. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced. When you sit in a car, you go through these intense situations but this was something else. My grandfather is also interested in watches and he taught me a little bit growing up. Having this logo branded on my racesuit for the first time, I truly realised that I’m a part of this history. I’m the first F1 Academy driver for TAG Heuer and that feels amazing. It feels like a family. 

The racing spirit runs in the family from your Mum who was racing out on track. What have you learned from her endeavours?

It’s more about her just being there and present. She knows exactly what it’s like to go through this, and she had it to a whole different extent. I saw a Facebook flashback recently of her receiving an award at a national championship. She had no money growing up and so getting into the sport, she partnered with a lingerie brand. It was printing across her chest [on her racesuit] and she had a hard time for that. My Mum understands this sport from all angles, and she’s learning with me as it’s getting better. She knows what I’ve been through and I’m going through and she really is a comfort blanket for that. 

You’re operating at the borders of fear, is this something you’re aware of?

I think only when you see a crash, you’re reminded of what it is that you’re doing. But then you have to go back out there and get in the zone. You can’t be scared because there’s always going to be that limit you have to push. 

Are there any standout moments that stay in your brain from your early years getting into the sport?

I was doing a Rotax Championship when I was about 12, and that’s kind of when everything started to ramp up. I decided this is what I wanted to do, obviously it took a couple of years to learn and get good, and then I started getting on the podiums. Once you get on those podiums, it grabs you, you don’t want to lose that feeling. No matter how low it gets, you still have that feeling in the back of your head that you’ll get back there. I haven’t had a podium yet in a Formula category, and there’s a drive that I have to get on that podium, because once you do it’s like an unexplainable. The feeling of confidence you have means you go into the next weekend on a roll. 

Do you think there’s a recipe for winning, and does this outlook stay with you for every race?

I think I came into this campaign thinking I was going to win it.. And then it kind of reality hit. I have to start from scratch and really build up again mentally. It’s hard because every driver wants to go out there and win, but there’s having a great car and being a great driver. I think McLaren in Formula 1 shows you an example of that. It’s the same car but it’s oranges and apples with the drivers. I think our car is probably two years behind the rest of the other teams, so we knew it was going to be hard coming into pre-season testing. But from then to where the car is now, we’re looking for a top 10 position in Montreal. My job as a driver is to make sure that we get there. 

Time for a Shift:  TAG Heuer’s Newest Driver Is Changing the Game

What does the F1 Academy, and more broadly, women in motorsport, need to do in order to receive the same respect or recognition as that of the other Formula categories?

We have to get females higher up in the sport. We need to see women in F2, F3, but we also need to see them in the top 5 places. When you’re starting out, you’re running at the back, like every male does. I’ve seena couple of the top running boys in the UK doing the UK series and coming in at the bottom last year because it was their first race. For a girl to do that, the response is ‘She’s lost. She’s crap.’ But if it’s a boy, it’s ‘he’s learning, he’ll get better.’ There’s still that mentality of it. If a girl is running 20th and a boy 21st, they don’t notice the boy running 21st, they look at the girl and critique her performance. There’s still that barrier there, and the point is we’re doing the exact same thing that they’re doing – we’re just a different gender. So once we see these females going up through the ranks and actually running the front competitively, I think the respect will arrive. But until then, there’s always going to be that barrier that needs breaking. 

Until then, we continue the fight for girl power. 

And eventually, they’ll realise. 

Time for a Shift:  TAG Heuer’s Newest Driver Is Changing the Game


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