A CONVERSATION WITH... CHLOE CHONG
Take a pit stop and get to know F4 driver Chloe Chong and her love for loud music, good sounds, and jazz!
Credit: Dave Snocken/FEP Media
“I think it’s super important for people to see that I’m not just that racing driver. I’m also a person who loves sounds and good music.”
Being 17 is hard. Being 17 and a F4 driver? Ridiculously hard, but Chloe Chong has been finding ways to make life a little easier on and off the track.
If you’re a F4 fan, you might have heard of Chloe. Following her debut in the FIA’s Girls on Track - Rising Stars scheme in 2022, she was one of the four girls to compete in the FIA Ferrari academy, never having raced an F4 car before. In 2023, she was the youngest on the inaugural F1 Academy grid. For the 2024 season, she’s been competing in the British F4 Championship with JHR Developments — racing across the UK in a predominately male grid.
She’s booked and busy, to say the least.
One thing that helps keep her calm through it all is playing music. So one day at Silverstone between test laps and races, Chloe gushed about her love for piano, the freedom she has with her music, and her love for country music. And of course, she had her new Casio keyboard in front of her.
Square One: When did you fall in love with music?
Chloe: I think everyone grows up with it in some capacity around them. But when I was younger, my first instrument was the piano. I just loved the sounds. I started at four and I couldn’t stop. The bass notes drew me in and I love those minor chords. They always sound great. I always loved playing loudly, but that also happened because I’m not very good at modulation. My parents might not like the full volume but it’s what I like so…
Square One: Was there any music you grew up playing that you still play or have your tastes changed?
Chloe: I've evolved a lot from the classical music you learn in school lessons and now I’m going towards popular music, film scores, and jazz. I really love jazz. I've also picked up the saxophone quite recently. I think it's a lot easier to play than the piano. I think you get a lot of expression from the saxophone, but it doesn't mean that the piano isn’t my favourite anymore. I think it's always gonna stay my favourite. Plus, playing the saxophone and the piano means I can mix the instruments and experiment with new sounds.
Square One: Do you write your own songs or do you like playing other people’s music?
Chloe: I'm terrible at creating my own melodies! I don't know how people do it. So I lean towards finding a song that I really like online and getting sheet music to try to learn how to play it.
Square One: How would you describe your relationship with music and to sport?
Chloe: I'd say they're two very different things. I'd say sports… you always want to be the best at what you do. For me, music is a chill-out zone and you enjoy it for what it is. You know you're not the next Mozart. But I’ve loved performing in school concerts like being part of the percussion for the Carmina Burana. I love solo performances but doing something as a group makes it a whole lot more fun. Though, if I could ever perform on top of a mountain in solitude — that’s a dream for me. No crowds, just myself and my instruments. I know that my speciality is my sport, so it's nice to just kind of take a step back and enjoy things for what they are.
Square One: Now you have a collaboration with Casio and they gifted you the PX-S1100. What drew you to Casio in the first place?
Chloe: It was a no-brainer. You know, as I said, I played piano my whole life. I started off with a keyboard. So getting the PX-S1100 keyboard for the first time and playing it, it really felt like a real piano. Keyboards have evolved so much over the years that now it feels super realistic. I couldn't wait to get involved because I think it's important to spread awareness about using keyboards to start learning piano so that everyone can access it. It's really important to give access to children and new beginner players through keyboards. I think people think that if you can't afford a piano, you can't play. But now the keyboards are so realistic. It's amazing that anyone can pick one up and really be a pro at piano.
Square One: You’ve talked about how you’ve experienced some barriers and wins in racing and how you’ve been carving a path for yourself and those after you, especially as a young girl yourself. Is there something you’ve learned through this journey so far that you’d want to share with other young women who want to be in racing/other predominantly male sports?
Chloe: I’ve learned to have a lot of tenacity and mental strength. I’m such a perfectionist and a stickler for detail, sometimes to where it overwhelms me. Over the years I’ve been able to start to let go of a lot of small things which has helped me get over bad weekends better. After every bad race, I try to make good use of it. I cherish every opportunity to get to do the things I love. Music has also helped me with making every moment count and learning how to keep going. Sometimes you get stuck with a certain line for hours but you eventually get it right, and that perseverance really connects to racing. Of course, the drive to win always keeps me pushing for more! There were many barriers that I faced in terms of stereotyping but also funding and sponsorship struggles.
With karting, it’s become so much more accessible like with indoor karting tracks and discounts for talented drivers. It really helps carve that path for people coming into the sport.
Square One: If you had to describe your current music taste in 3 songs/artists, what would they be?
Chloe: I would have to go with artists on my current listening. Right now a lot of Zach Bryan; I’ve recently been into country music. It’s my mission to go see him live one day. I would also say RAYE’s 21st Century Blues. It’s one of the best albums I’ve heard recently and I’ve always been a die-hard fan of Adele. During race weekends, the feel is different so maybe some more Hip-Hop or rock comes into play.
Square One: If you had to describe your relationship to music in one word, what word would that be? Why?
Chloe: Reflection. Music prompts me to reflect on my surroundings and feel the story in the spaces around me. In different situations, music can feel different and so the reflection is the most important part of my love for it.
Thank you to Casio Music UK for bringing us along to meet Chloe and hear her play the beautiful PX-S1100 in person.