Chloe Chong returned to the Formula 1 Academy grid in 2025. She was a rookie in its inaugural season in 2023, and is now racing for Rodin Motorsport, backed by Charlotte Tilbury. No longer the youngest driver on the grid, she was looking to prove that she can compete at a high standard. However, this season has proven to be difficult for her. Chong currently sits in 11th place, with 11 championship points scored.
Early Struggles in Asia and the US
The opening rounds in Shanghai and Jeddah proved difficult for Chloe Chong. In Shanghai, she struggled to find a consistent pace and finished outside of the top 10 in both races.
Race 1 in Jeddah was equally difficult. An incident involving multiple cars meant that she was forced to retire from the race. However, in Race 2, Chong finished in 10th place. This earned her her first championship point of the season.
In Miami, Chong once again did not finish the race. Contact with Ciconte caused damage to her car, and she was forced to retire in the pits. There was no opportunity for Chong to bounce back from her retirement. Heavy rainfall meant that Race 2 in Miami had to be called off.
Improvements in Montreal
Montreal hosted three races, due to the cancellation of Race 2 in Miami. In Race 1, which was in place of Miami’s Race 2, more contact meant that Chloe Chong had to retire the car, yet again.
Chong started Race 2 on reverse-grid pole. Despite a good start to the race, she was unable to hold onto her lead. As the race unfolded, Chong found herself slowly slipping down the order and out of the points-paying positions.
Despite this, Race 3 was her strongest race of the season so far. Starting 8th on the grid, she worked her way up to finish in 5th place. This awarded her 10 very much needed championship points.
What’s next?
Chloe Chong has not had the start to the season she had hoped for. A string of DNF’s would have presumably caused a huge knock to her confidence, but also a boost to her drive to perform.
With six races left, Chong will be hoping to recreate the final race in Montreal, but in order to do this, she needs to focus on driving a clean race. Avoiding contact with other drivers is going to be key should she wish to improve on the second half of the season.
