In conversation with:
chloe chong (OS 2023)
Few alumni take a path quite as fast-paced as professional racing driver Chloe Chong. In this interview, she reflects on the life skills she gained at Sevenoaks School, the challenges of pursuing elite sport alongside academics and her advice for students with unconventional ambitions.
“Sevenoaks School encouraged me to have initiative and independence which I found really useful especially when I started travelling around the world alone age 15. I learned how to be independent, accountable and to make well-informed decisions.”
What was the catalyst for you getting into racing?
It came from watching Formula 1 on television from the age of four; hearing the engine noise and the excitement of watching drivers overtaking each other had me sold. I started in karting at a local track at the age of six. I became the first girl to finish in the top two in their championship and won a day in a professional go-kart at the age of seven. I then competed in local competitions from the age of 8 to 13 and moved into the British and European Karting Championships in 2020. I finished ninth in the British Championship, and had multiple top 15 and top female finishes in the European Championships.
My biggest achievement in karting was qualifying in the top six in the KartMasters GP which is widely considered one of the most prestigious events in junior racing, with past winners including current F1 drivers such as George Russell.
Through my karting success, I was then selected as a participant for a shootout planned by the FIA (the motorsport governing body) in which Ferrari scouts were present and saw my progress in my first days in a Formula 4 car. This then gave me the chance to go to Maranello, Italy to be trialled as a potential member of their Formula 1 Driver Academy.
Was it already clear at school that racing was what you wanted to pursue?
I always had a dream to pursue racing; however, it always felt a bit out of reach as a career path. But it all ended up happening really by chance. In 2023, I was invited by Ferrari to attend their driver academy’s scouting camp, which then resulted in my place in the F1 Academy.
How did you balance school life with the demands of training, travelling, and competing?
Ever since Year 9, most of my weekends during the school term have been spent at racetracks. Thankfully, school allowed me the time off, given I was able to catch up. I remember that this part of the bargain was always difficult to handle. Ironically, I get motion sickness, especially in cars or planes. So doing any work in transit was quite hard for me. Additionally, it was usually the case that I’d leave for the track early on Thursday or Friday morning and return at 1am on a Monday, where I’d have to get up for school at 7am that morning. So the exhaustion on that tight turnaround mixed with the inability to use my weekends for homework made it difficult to always catch up on time.
Were there any teachers or mentors who played a particularly important role in supporting your journey?
Dr Mckeating, Mr Marshall and Mrs Coquelin. All three of them helped me a lot in managing my absences from school, difficulties with workload, organisation and encouraged me to pursue my racing opportunities.
In terms of studies, Dr Mckeating, in particular, was really great at helping me when at points I was overwhelmed with the workload. He helped me put a plan in place to help with this.
Another teacher to mention was Mr Taylor, who made special provision for my Year 11 mocks to be under exam conditions and to fit around my schedule.
What skills did you learn at school that have helped you in motorsport?
I found that Sevenoaks School really encouraged us to have personal initiative and independence which is something that I found really useful, especially when I started travelling around the world alone from age 15. I definitely learned how to manage myself independently and be accountable, as well as to work well alone and make well-informed decisions on unfamiliar topics.
What was the biggest challenge of managing education alongside elite sport?
I’m a perfectionist. As well as my racing endeavours, I also wanted to complete all of my schoolwork to an A* standard too. I remember getting pretty overwhelmed having to balance everything all at once due to my high standards. The frustration of feeling like I had fallen short of either of my goals has been difficult.
What would you say to a student trying to balance academic work with a passion outside school?
Don’t be scared to voice your concerns with your tutor or a subject teacher, I’ve always found that it helps.
Tell us about your partnership with Charlotte Tilbury.
In November 2024, I had a call with Susie Wolff (F1 Academy’s Managing Director) in which she told me that I had a sponsor interested in supporting me in F1 Academy in 2025. She said I’d have to wait for them to reveal who they were. Then, in January 2025, I had a pretty cool surprise when the Charlotte Tilbury team showed up at my team’s workshop to tell me of the news. I got to meet with Charlotte, model in photos and videos, as well as represent her “Makeup Your Destiny” campaign on my race-wear and car.
The Charlotte Tilbury team were at the track the whole year; every race we hosted some amazing guests, who made our car probably have one of the biggest fan clubs on the pre-race grid party. I’m still in contact with Charlotte Tilbury and still part of their family; we have agreed to stay in touch to see what opportunities may lay ahead.
I also have strong partnerships currently with Zwift, Canyon Bikes, and Takomo Golf which have given me opportunities to explore my love for other sports and promote female participation. A lot of my job as a racing driver is to seek sponsorships to continue moving up the racing ladder; it’s really the case of being able to find the funding to compete, and if I can’t find the backing, I won’t compete.
I’ve worked extremely hard in the past three years to build up my brand and profile on social media for this reason. I’m still looking for sponsors to help me to compete in the Nurburgring 24HR race, so this is the next goal I am working towards on the partnerships side.
Image credit: Charlotte Tilbury
What has the response been to your partnership with Charlotte Tilbury?
It really couldn’t have gone any better. Straight away, both myself and Charlotte Tilbury had a real synergy; I can honestly say that they have been like family to me. So many messages of young girls being inspired with confidence to break the mould – it’s been such a fulfilling journey for all of us.
How does it feel to be a role model in your sport at such a young age?
It feels really awesome and I’m always so happy to hear if someone has been inspired by what I do.
Image credit: Charlotte Tilbury
What advice would you give students pursuing an unconventional career?
Uncertainty and risks make the reward feel even better at the end of it all.
How important is self-belief when others might not fully understand your goals?
I’ve always been my number one advocate, and I also believe that no one else should be able to tell you that something is impossible or unrealistic. If you really back yourself fully, you should be able to accept that there will always be some resistance along the way.
What goals are you most excited about working towards?
I’m aiming to get some race wins in my first season in GT racing; pre-season testing and training has been going in the right direction, I’d like to conquer Mont Ventoux on a bike and break 90 on the golf course.
If you could speak to your younger self at school, what would you say?
Until recently, I was somewhat afraid of speaking up or voicing an opinion. In a lot of situations I ended up being complicit and shying away from backing myself. In some cases you really need to push for what you want and not concern yourself with people’s opinions to succeed.
When can we see you race next?
I’ll be racing in the NLS Nürburgring Nordschleife series with WS Racing in the Porsche 992 GT3 Cup Car. Taking place at the most dangerous track in the world with four hour endurance races, it’s a stark difference to my previous experiences in single seaters. The season takes place over eight weekends from March to October.