Chloe Chong set to make NLS debut, eyes Nürburgring permit

Chloe Chong is set to make her GT racing debut as she enters the first round of the Nürburgring Langstrecke Series (NLS), targeting the Nordschleife permit required to race bigger GT classes.

Photo credits: F1 Academy Ltd

Chloe Chong is preparing for a new chapter in her racing career as the British driver makes her GT racing debut in the opening round of the Nürburgring Langstrecke Series (NLS), beginning her journey toward earning the Nordschleife permit required to compete in higher GT classes at the world famous venue.

After two seasons in the all-female F1 Academy championship and a developmental campaign in British Formula 4, the 18-year-old now takes her first steps into endurance and GT racing on one of motorsport’s most demanding circuits.

Chong will drive the #506 BMW 228i entered by Giti Tires Motorsport by WS Racing, sharing the VT2-RWD class entry with Dennis Garbe and John Lee Schambony. The category is reserved for production-based rear-wheel-drive cars with engines over 1600 cc up to 2000 cc with turbocharging, a traditional starting point for newcomers to the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

Drivers new to the Nordschleife must in fact first compete in smaller classes to obtain the special permit before advancing to faster GT machinery, a pathway Chong now begins the upcoming weekend.

Chong first made headlines as the youngest driver on the inaugural F1 Academy grid in 2023. Announced at just 15 years old and turning 16 shortly before her debut, she made an immediate impression by scoring points on her first race weekend with sixth place at the Red Bull Ring. She matched that result at Valencia and continued to show steady development throughout the season, setting the fastest lap at Monza and returning to the points at Paul Ricard before ending the year strongly with three consecutive top-ten finishes at Circuit of the Americas.

In 2024, Chong graduated to the mixed-gender British F4 Championship, marking her first full campaign racing against broader junior single-seater fields. She scored her first points during the reverse-grid race at Donington and steadily improved across the season, culminating in a seventh-place finish, her best result in the category.

She returned to F1 Academy in 2025 with Rodin Motorsport, supported by beauty brand Charlotte Tilbury, aiming to build on her growing experience. Despite several misfurtunes, Chong secured four top-ten finishes, including tenth place in Jeddah and a career-best fifth in Montreal. Further points finishes followed at Zandvoort and Singapore, while a one-off return to British F4 at Snetterton produced a valuable tenth-place result.

Now exploring sportscar racing opportunities, Chong joins Giti Tires Motorsport by WS Racing - a team well known for promoting female participation at the Nürburgring and operating successful all-female line-ups in recent seasons. Alongside Chong’s VT2-RWD entry, the squad will also debut a new Porsche 992 GT3 Cup car this weekend, driven by Janina Schall, Patricija Stalidzane and Fabienne Wohlwend.