Interview
Chambers eyes ‘better one next year’ as she looks to use top three fight as springboard for 2025 title challenge
Chloe Chambers’ 2025 plans might already be locked in, but the American driver isn’t taking her foot off the gas with the Teams’ title and her own quest for the top three on the line.
Competitive from the outset of her debut F1 ACADEMY campaign with a podium in Miami, Chambers’ fortunes were on the rise when a third-place finish in Barcelona alongside a victory in Race 2 elevated her to third in the Drivers’ Standings.
Unable to match those heights across the following two rounds, the Haas racer has slipped back to fourth after Singapore and faces a 17-point deficit to P3.
Summarising how her season has panned out, Chambers said: “Overall, the season’s gone really well. Of course, I’ve had a couple of podiums and a win, so those are some great results. I’ve been pretty consistent. I’ve stayed around the top five in most of the races. The year has been pretty good, and I think it’s going to be a good place to build on for next year.”
Chambers’ hard graft in the races has been plain to see, with her daring double overtake in Miami Race 1 being one of the standout moves of the season. However, those have been the consequence of her one-lap pace continuing to be a thorn in her side — with only two top five starts —which has left her needing to regain ground rather than having her attentions squarely on the battles out front.
Quizzed on what she believes has held her back this year, she admitted: “My main area of improvement is probably my Qualifying. At a couple of the last races, the circuits that we were at were a little bit more difficult to pass on, so Qualifying there was really crucial.
“From testing here in Abu Dhabi, I think the passing should be a little bit better. Still, of course I would like to improve on my Qualifying and get myself a little bit further up the field, so I don't have to work quite as hard during the races as I've had to in the past. For now, Qualifying is my main focus, but having a couple of test days in Abu Dhabi and Qatar ahead of the race weekends will be a big help.”
Explaining the benefits of testing ahead of the season finale double-header, Chambers added: “You get six hours of running in a day. Of course, you don’t drive for all six hours, but you get a lot more track time than on the Formula 1 race weekends.
“It’s super helpful, you can test a bunch of different things that you can’t test on a race weekend because of time. So, it’s good, not just for the circuit that you’re at, but also for the rest of the season.
“Having time on the track ahead of the race weekend and also kind of knowing where you stack up against everybody is a little bit more reassuring. Everything can change of course, but you kind of have a sense of where everybody’s at.”
Chambers is in a unique position amongst her rivals as the first full-time F1 ACADEMY driver announced to be returning for the 2025 campaign. Partnering up with Red Bull Ford next year, the 20-year-old is revelling in the reassurance that Qatar and Abu Dhabi won’t be make-or-break weekends.
Looking for one final flourish to end her rookie season, and with her Campos Racing team’s title chances hanging in the balance, she is determined to make the best out of whatever situation she finds herself in.
“I’m excited for it,” Chambers remarked. “I think I’m more excited for it knowing that I’m confirmed for next year, so I have a chance to come and make it a better one next year. I’m still going to be fighting as hard as I can for third place, but also, I can take a little bit of stress off myself knowing that I have another shot at it next year and hopefully for the title itself.
“I would love to end the year on a win, that would be great — maybe even two wins! I’m just going to go for the rest of the races this year and do the best that I can. Whether that’s a win or fifth place, I think as long as I’ve done the best that I can and maximised my potential for the weekend, then I can be happy with it.”
She concluded: “It would be amazing to be able to bring (Campos) the Teams’ title. Of course, I am the only rookie driver on the team. So, to be a part of it in my first year with them, I think will end my year on a good note.”