Chloe Chong’s FP1 performance at the F1 Academy Dutch GP showcased her renewed confidence. She ultimately settled for P5 after initially setting several benchmark times at the Zandvoort Circuit, making an early impression.
Early promise cut short
During Chong’s FP1 outing at the F1 Academy Dutch GP, she was among the few who decided to venture out early. Track conditions were challenging with sand and debris creating difficult driving conditions.
“Definitely a bit of a limited session for us only getting one run in and unfortunately at the very beginning,” Chong explained post-session. “Others managed to get back out and in more ideal track conditions. There was a lot of sand and debris on the track.”
Despite the track conditions, Chong initially topped the timesheets. She described it as the perfect opening stint. “I was quite happy to hear on the radio after the first stint that I was P1 with three purple sectors and I was ready to go on my other set,” she revealed.
However, a red flag intervention prevented further running. This left Chong unable to capitalize on the improved track conditions. “Unfortunately, the Red Flag came out and cut it a bit short. Some good data to go over and a good start, it’s definitely given me a lot of confidence for the weekend,” she reflected.
Preparation for the weekend
Chong’s FP1 showing wasn’t entirely surprising, given her recent preparation at the venue. Chong remains one of only few drivers not competing in two full championships. This means testing proves to be crucial for her. The recent in-season testing completed at Circuit Zandvoort has proved to have been beneficial.
“As one of the few drivers that aren’t doing a full double campaign, it’s very important having these test days with F1 ACADEMY,” she emphasized. “Having a few at Zandvoort last month has really helped me get used to the track and get my game on a little bit more compared to the others who have the luxury of driving a lot more days than I do.”
The preparation appears to be paying off looking at Chong’s FP1 performance. Her partnership with her engineer has also been a key factor in her improved form. Chong explains her relationship with her engineer to be strong.
“I think we’ve made the most out of it. Me and my engineer are working really well together, so I just hope to keep continuing this kind of trend throughout the season.”
Room for improvement
While her final time in the F1 Academy FP1 session of a 1:39.065 left her eight tenths behind pacesetter Alisha Palmowski, Chong was pleased. She admitted to feeling as though she drove her car further than the limit during the session. Despite this, she refuses to put pressure on herself, although acknowledging there is always more performance to find.
“I felt like I was driving under the limit,” she admitted. “I’m not going to put pressure on myself to drive better, but there’s always more to find. Even looking over initial data just now, there’s always something to unlock.”
The F1 Academy driver’s analytical approach extends to learning from her teammates. Chong believes there is no limit to lap times, and they will continue to improve, as long as the track continues to improve. Added speed can be created by the driver.
“Even compared to my teammates, there’s stuff that they do better and it’s good to carry on for the next session. I wouldn’t say there’s a limit on it. It’s just keep improving as the track keeps improving. There are more things that we can do as drivers to make the car go quicker as well.”
Weather wildcard
With changeable conditions a possibility for the remainder of the Dutch GP weekend, Chong approached the prospect of rain with characteristic humor. She maintained her competitive confidence following her FP1 display.
“For me, the rain means that I can’t cycle to the track — that’s my main concern!” she joked before turning serious about the racing implications.
“Honestly, we’re all thrown into the same sort of conditions when we get out there. It doesn’t really matter whether we like the rain or not, I’ve just got to adapt the best I can. I feel like I’m very good at being straight out on new conditions and being the fastest driver. We’ve proved that time and time again, like in testing.”
Her confidence in variable conditions stems from previous experience, though she acknowledge the unique challenge the wet weather would present. The Brit has gained immense knowledge of wet weather driving within her campaign of British F4, during her year off from F1 Academy. Her campaign also brought a fantastic result in Zandvoort, adding to her confidence for the weekend.
“If it helps me, then why not? But I also think, as proven this morning in the dry, why not? I’m very confident after British F4 here and Qualifying in the top 6. I’m quite happy with whatever conditions get thrown at me, although rain would be a bit of a curveball this year because we haven’t had that that often.”
Building momentum
Chong’s FP1 approach at the F1 Academy Dutch GP demonstrated her tactical maturity to succeed in F1 Academy’s competitive environment. She approached her session with clear objectives—go through the team’s procedures, scrub a few tyres and get a good result.
“It was just the case of navigating through that an adapting to the changing conditions quite quickly. The plan was to get through all of our procedures, scrub a few tyres and get the job done,” she explained.
With strong pace shown early and valuable data collected, Chong heads into the remainder of the weekend with justified confidence. Her ability to maximize limited opportunities while maintaining a clear development focus suggest the Rodin Motorsport driver could be a factor in the battles ahead.
