Report
Chong ‘getting her game on’ after confidence boosting FP1 in Zandvoort
Chloe Chong is in high spirits after the Charlotte Tilbury driver delivered a top-five worthy time during the first Free Practice session in Zandvoort.
The Briton was one of the few to head out on track early on, setting several benchmark times. However, she slowly slipped down to fifth after the later runners capitalised on improved track conditions before the session-ending Red Flag.
Although disappointed not to get another opportunity show her pace, Chong believes her initial performance has set her up well for the weekend ahead.
“Definitely a bit of a limited session for us only getting one run in and unfortunately at the very beginning,” she began. “Others managed to get back out and in more ideal track conditions. There was a lot of sand and debris on the track.
“It was just the case of navigating through that an adapting to the changing conditions quite quickly. The plan was to get through all of our procedures, scrub a few tyres and get the job done.
“I was quite happy to hear on the radio after the first stint that I was P1 with three purple sectors and I was ready to go on my other set. Unfortunately, the Red Flag came out and cut it a bit short. Some good data to go over and a good start, it’s definitely given me a lot of confidence for the weekend.”
Setting a 1:39.065, Chong was eight tenths slower than pacesetter Alisha Palmowski’s time. Despite the time difference, the Charlotte Tilbury driver stressed the benefits that in-season testing last month had on her.
READ MORE: PRACTICE 1: Palmowski makes fast start in opening Zandvoort session
“As one of the few drivers that aren’t doing a full double campaign, it’s very important having these test days with F1 ACADEMY,” she said. “Having a few at Zandvoort last month has really helped me get used to the track and get my game on a little bit more compared to the others who have the luxury of driving a lot more days than I do.
“I think we've made the most out of it. Me and my engineer are working really well together, so I just hope to keep continuing this kind of trend throughout the season.”
Chong enters Round 5 on a high after scoring her highest F1 ACADEMY finish last time out in Montreal, with a P5 finish in Race 3. As the track continues to evolve, the 18-year-old is confident that she has untapped potential, no matter what the weather throws her way.
“I felt like I was driving under the limit,” she admitted. “I’m not going to put pressure on myself to drive better, but there's always more to find. Even looking over initial data just now, there's always something to unlock.
“Even compared to my teammates, there's stuff that they do better and it's good to carry on for the next session. I wouldn't say there's a limit on it. It’s just keep improving as the track keeps improving. There are more things that we can do as drivers to make the car go quicker as well.”
“For me, the rain means that I can’t cycle to the track — that’s my main concern!” Chong jokingly admitted. “Honestly, we’re all thrown into the same sort of conditions when we get out there.
“It doesn’t really matter whether we like the rain or not, I’ve just got to adapt the best I can. I feel like I’m very good at being straight out on new conditions and being the fastest driver. We’ve proved that time and time again, like in testing.
“If it helps me, then why not? But I also think, as proven this morning in the dry, why not? I'm very confident after British F4 here and Qualifying in the top 6. I'm quite happy with whatever conditions get thrown at me, although rain would be a bit of a curveball this year because we haven't had that that often.”