Chloe Chong returned to the F1 Academy grid in 2025 for her second and final campaign in the series. The British driver joined Rodin Motorsport for her final campaign and was backed by Charlotte Tilbury. Chong first made her debut in the all-female series during its inaugural season back in 2023, where she had six point-scoring finishes. A year prior, Chong competed in British F4 and secured a best-finish of seventh at Donington Park. The British driver headed into the 2025 season looking to show her potential and end her run in F1 Academy on a high note.
However, the 2025 F1 Academy season would prove to be a difficult one for Chong. The British driver ended her final campaign in the series 11th in the Drivers’ Standings with 18 points — 6 points fewer than what she’d accumulated in her debut campaign, where she finished the season with 25 points.
A challenging season start
The 2025 F1 Academy season had its season opener at the Shanghai International Circuit, a track foreign to Chong before the weekend. It would also mark Chong’s return to the F1 Academy series. The weekend had started off promising, with Chong finishing both Free Practice and Qualifying in P10. However, it was clear during Race 1 that the British driver struggled to find pace and improve as she finished in the same position. Race 2 was another frustrating finish for Chong, with British driver finishing just outside of points in P11.
The following weekend in Jeddah would prove to be another challenging weekend for Chong. After placing 10th on the grid during Qualifying, she was on a mission to redeem herself and score some points. Her attempt in Race 1 was unfortunately cut short. Chong had damaged her car after trying to avoid the action between Lia Block and Courtney Crone. However, Race 2 would earn Chong her first point of the season with a hard-fought P10 finish.
Chong’s streak of misfortune would only continue into the following weekend in Miami. The British driver faced her second DNF of the season during the 2025 F1 Academy Miami GP weekend. The third Safety car of Race 1 was deployed on Lap 8 after Joanne Ciconte’s three-wide battle with Chong and Nicole Havrda. Chong, who was chasing after Ciconte, ended up making contact, forcing both cars to retire. Race 2 of the weekend was later cancelled following unfortunate weather conditions. This meant Chong left the weekend empty-handed once again.
Redemption in Montreal
The 2025 F1 Academy Canadian GP weekend would be Chong’s best-performing weekend of the season. The weekend had a unique schedule with three races instead of the traditional two. The extra race served as a replacement for the previously cancelled Race 2 in Miami. This presented Chong with three opportunities to maximise her performance on track and gain some points.
Race 1’s grid was determined by the Miami Qualifying session, which saw Chong lining up in P14. Her race would end prematurely once again, as Chong was forced to retire her car after colliding with Rafaela Ferreira.
After qualifying P8 for the 2025 F1 Academy Canadian GP, Chong started Race 2 on reverse-grid pole — an exciting opportunity for Chong to capitalise on. Upon lights out, the British driver got an impressive start, and things were finally looking up for Chong. However, as the race unfolded, the 18 year-old found herself slipping down the order as she struggled for pace. Ultimately, Chong finished last on the grid in P16.
Race 3 of the weekend would be her strongest race performance of the 2025 F1 Academy season. Despite the disappointments she faced earlier on in the weekend, Chong stayed focused in Race 3. The British driver fought her way through the field to an impressive P5 finish from P8. This rewarded Chong with 10 well-earned points.
A season of highs and lows
Chong continued to struggle for pace in the last few races of the season. However, there were flashes of speed from the British driver. The 2025 F1 Academy Dutch GP started off promising for Chong with a P5 finish in FP1. However, her joy would be short-lived following a P15 finish in FP2 and a P12 finish in Qualifying. Despite this, Chong would continue pushing on for the rest of the weekend. In Race 1, Chong made contact with Alba Larsen and fell down the field as a result. She was unable to recover and finished in the same position. Race 2 was more successful for the British driver, as she managed to clinch the final points-scoring position.
The following weekend at the Marina Bay Circuit would pose another challenge for Chong due to the demanding conditions of the weekend. However, it did not seem to be much of a challenge for her. The 2025 F1 Academy Singapore GP weekend started on a high note for Chong. The British driver managed to qualify 10th. Race 1 saw a slight improvement in pace from Chong, but failed to score points after finishing in P9 — just outside of points. Race 2 saw the British driver achieve impressive results, having climbed her way through the field to a P7 finish.
It was Chong’s first visit to the Marina Bay Circuit as the track was only introduced to the all-female series in 2024. The Singapore GP weekend is notoriously demanding on drivers, with the country’s extreme heat and humidity and unforgiving street track. Considering it was her visit to the Marina Bay Circuit, she had an impressive weekend in Singapore that she can be proud of.
A rough campaign ending
The 2025 F1 Academy Las Vegas GP weekend marked Chong’s last race in F1 Academy. Naturally, she would have wanted to end it on a high note with a strong finish.
From the get-go, the weekend proved tough for Chong. The British driver qualified 16th during Qualifying — her lowest result of the season. And for the rest of the weekend, she continued to struggle for pace, finishing P12 in Race 1 and P15 in Race 2. A rough end to her final race in F1 Academy.
The 2025 F1 Academy season was one with its ups and downs for Chong. It was clear that she struggled with both one-lap pace and race pace throughout the season. Despite that, there were still some decent weekends from the British driver.
