Interview
‘We are creeping up the grid slowly but surely’ – Chong targets breakthrough in Miami after ‘progressive’ Jeddah weekend
Chloe Chong heralded an educational weekend at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit as she scored her first points of the season, giving her the determination to do even better in Round 3 in Miami.
After a penalty relegated her to P11 in Shanghai Race 2, the Charlotte Tilbury driver recovered from the disappointment to qualify 10th in Jeddah, putting her in a strong position to hunt down a points finish.
This failed to materialise in Race 1 as she suffered damage whilst trying to avoid a collision between Lia Block and Courtney Crone, forcing her to retire and reset for Race 2. A great start helped her to maintain her Qualifying position and cross the line to take the final point of the weekend.
“I think it was quite a progressive weekend,” Chong explained. “Obviously our first points finish of the year – I think it was a bit late coming, especially considering our pace in Shanghai.
“Coming to a track that most of the drivers have been here before, we were kind of starting on the back foot. Unfortunately (I) didn’t make the most of Qualifying due to a technical issue on our fastest lap but it is what it is.
“Just got unlucky getting caught up in an incident (in Race 1), but again sometimes we make our own luck and due to my mistake off the start and Turn 1, I caused myself to be in a more vulnerable position. That’s what I have to learn from.
“If you look at our progress throughout the last three races, we are getting there and we are creeping up the grid slowly but surely. I hope that in Miami, a track that I think really suits me, we can continue to make our positive progress.”
From receiving a penalty to getting caught up in an incident and netting her first points, Chong has already experienced the wide spectrum of emotions that racing has to offer, but she is keen to have a much smoother weekend in Miami.
With her Rodin Motorsport teammates Felbermayr and Ella Lloyd taking a reverse grid pole position and victory between them, Chong is confident that her driving style can help her reach similar heights in the upcoming rounds.
“I’m very good on the brakes – that’s something I don’t lie about,” she said. “I’d say I’m always one of the latest brakers. At a track like Miami where we have two or three quite slow speed corners, I’m really looking forward to it. I think I have the techniques to hopefully catch up on some of the drivers that performed well last year and excel them.
“Every time we go race, you go out there to go and win it. You just take it from the start, see where you are. As long as the willpower is there to go and push up the grid, anything can happen.”