Interview
Chong satisfied with Shanghai ‘warm-up’ despite penalty denying her points
Chloe Chong left Shanghai empty-handed but the Charlotte Tilbury driver was still upbeat about the pace she’d shown in Race 2.
Despite causing a collision with Joanne Ciconte on the opening lap, Chong fought her way back through to reach the chequered flag in P8. However, the Stewards had already issued her with a 10-second penalty for the contact, which demoted her to P11.
Accepting responsibility for the incident, the British driver opted to focus on the encouraging signs from the race rather than a missed opportunity for points.
“I think Race 2 was overall a good race,” she summarised. “Unfortunately, what happened on the first lap was completely my fault and I accept the penalty for that. I just need to judge where the others are going to brake a bit earlier than I would.
“We've been trying our hardest, but obviously there are quite a few rookies on the grid in the top-10 and it's my responsibility to adapt to that. Apart from that, the race went really well and I defended my place. We'd have been in a good points finish for the whole team if I didn't get the penalty, but it is what it is.
“We've shown that we can race quite well into Jeddah. A new track for me, not so much for the others but it's only my first race of the season. A lot of the drivers have been doing winter campaigns. So for me, it's a bit of a warm-up and we still got six rounds left, it’s all about chipping away at it in Jeddah as the pace is always there.”
Contrasting the start of her sophomore season to her 2023 campaign, Chong knows her lack of familiarity with the Jeddah Corniche Circuit puts her at a disadvantage compared to her six fellow returning drivers next time out.
“In my first season as a rookie in F1 ACADEMY, it was all about pushing as hard as I can,” she explained. “Now we’ve got to be more aware of the other rookies on the grid that may be starting around us, that’s probably the biggest thing.
“In terms of pace and performances in the races and starts, we’re there or thereabouts. The main thing is just to maximise Quali and get the most out of it.”
Chong added: “It’ll be a big learning experience for me. Jeddah is a very different track to here, first street circuit I’ve ever done. Probably over half the grid have already raced on F1 ACADEMY tracks and street circuits, so we’ll give it our all. I’d say I’m very good at learning things quickly and I wouldn’t put myself past that to do that in Jeddah.”