Chong: Getting points in my first race in cars is a moment that will stay with me forever

As the youngest driver on the grid and the only one to have come into F1 Academy straight from karting, PREMA Racing’s Chloe Chong knew that the 2024 season was going to be a step up. But from scoring points in her first race at the Red Bull Ring to battling against drivers with more experience, the British driver has relished the start to her single seater career.

An unforgettable moment

Now three races into the season, Chong has scored 11 points in the competition, with her standout performance being in Race 1 at the Red Bull Ring at Round 1 where she finished in P6. The British driver reflected on her first-time racing in the F1 Academy car: “I think without a doubt my highlight of the season so far was that first Race in Austria. I remember the day before in Qualifying being sent out to qualify in the rain for the first time ever in the Academy car and I found it quite difficult, and it meant that we started quite far back for the race.”

Lining up in P10 for the race, Chong put in a measured performance as she navigated changing conditions to finish inside the top six: “The team told me to just stay consistent and make sure I finished my first race. As I got settled into the car, we just kept putting in laps and pushed forwards. Getting points in my first race in cars is definitely a moment that will stay with me forever, so I am really happy with that."

The journey from karting

Chong’s step up to the Tatuus F4-T421 chassis from karting was an admirable one, with the British driver not afraid to be open about the learning experiences she has experienced so far this season. F1 Academy was designed to give the drivers taking part the opportunity to gain additional track time, with 190 minutes on track on a race weekend, along with fifteen track days across the season.

“It's definitely been a steep learning curve. I think anyone who has moved up from karting to single seaters would say the same, it’s a different driving style, but the team’s done a really good job in helping me adjust, especially with the fact that I never anticipated doing this series until maybe February this year!”

The PREMA racer went on to add: “Nowadays, you see young kids from karting start preparing with sim work and the fitness aspect of it, so it is quite difficult to compete with that, but playing catch-up I think we have done a really good job with that and it’s only going to keep getting better as we keep pushing forward."

Bonding with her teammates

Despite this being her first year out of karting, Chong has already developed a strong bond with teammates Marta García and Bianca Bustamante both of whom have competed in international single seaters previously. The trio have consistently pushed each other on track, with some of the best battles of the season so far involving the red and white PREMA cars. For the Brit, having the experience of her teammates around her has helped massively as she forges her own career.

“I don’t want to sound biased but I think we have one of the best teammate relations on the grid. We are really close both on and off track and it’s really great to have that family feeling there. We go through highs and lows together, but we support each other no matter what.

“Marta has a lot of experience and she’s been through a lot of the struggles that I am going through right now so it’s nice to know that you have got someone by your side who can give you advice. With Bianca again she is also quite experienced but she is also quite young as well so I really enjoy learning from her and taking all the experience she gives me, both on and off the track.” Four Races left to go: Anything can happen

With still four races of the season to come, Chong is looking forward to taking on every track that comes her way, but the season finale at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin is her standout pick.

“I am looking forward to all the tracks coming up on the calendar, in particular the Temple of Speed, Monza, which is the team’s home track, but COTA will truly be a once in a lifetime experience. To race with F1 and to see the cars up close, as well as experiencing racing in America; I am really looking forward to it.

However, as she looks to the end of the season, the Brit’s insists her focus remains on gaining experience: “The ambition this year is to keep pushing and keep learning. We knew from the start of the year that it was going to be tough, learning is crucial to me. I don’t think we are going to pull anything miraculous out of the bag, but I think there’s some potential there for some good results.”

Chong will be testing in Aragon from June 13th-14th, alongside the fourteen other drivers before heading to Zandvoort for Round 4 in just over a week’s time.