Jérômed'Ambrosio

Jérôme d'Ambrosio, born on December 27, 1985, in Brussels, Belgium, has carved a distinguished career path from competitive racing driver to a prominent motorsport executive. After competing in Formula One from 2011 to 2012, d'Ambrosio has ascended to significant leadership roles, notably serving as Deputy Team Principal of Ferrari in Formula One and head of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2024.

Early Career and Junior Formulae Success

D'Ambrosio's motorsport journey commenced at age 13 in 1999, quickly establishing him as a formidable talent in karting. By 2002, he had secured three Belgian national titles across various classes and achieved international success by winning the Junior Monaco Kart Cup in 2000 and the World Cup Formula A championship in 2002. Transitioning to single-seater racing in 2003, d'Ambrosio immediately made an impact, winning the Belgian Formula Renault championship with five victories for Thierry Boutsen Racing. He also competed in the German Formula König series, finishing fourth. His potential was recognized in 2004 when he joined the Renault F1 Driver Development Programme. He competed in the French Formula Renault 2.0 series, finishing fourth as the highest-placed rookie, alongside appearances in the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup. The 2005 season saw him in Italian Formula Renault, securing third in the Winter Series and fourth overall, with three wins and six podiums, complemented by two Eurocup podiums. In 2006, after a partial season in Formula Renault 3.5 Series, he moved to Euroseries 3000, impressively finishing fifth despite missing half the season. A pivotal year arrived in 2007 with the inaugural International Formula Master series. Driving for Cram Competition, d'Ambrosio dominated, clinching the championship with five wins, eleven podiums, and seven fastest laps from sixteen races. His ascent continued into the Formula One feeder series, the GP2 Series, in 2008, competing for DAMS in both the main series and the GP2 Asia Series. He finished 11th in both championships, securing two podiums in each. D'Ambrosio continued with DAMS in 2009, becoming vice-champion in the 2008–09 GP2 Asia Series with four podiums. He started the 2009 GP2 Series strongly, earning three podiums in the initial four races and concluding the season ninth overall. The 2010 season marked a significant breakthrough for d'Ambrosio with DAMS. He secured his maiden GP2 victory in Monaco and later claimed his first series pole position at his home event, the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, though he retired from the lead. He added another podium at Monza, finishing 12th in the championship standings.

Formula One Debut and Tenure

D'Ambrosio's proximity to Formula One intensified in January 2010 when he was named Reserve Driver for the Renault F1 Team. Later that year, on September 16, he made his Formula One race weekend debut, participating in four practice sessions with Virgin Racing. His first FP1 appearance at Marina Bay saw him place 21st, just two-tenths of a second behind teammate Timo Glock. This led to his official announcement on December 21, 2010, as a full-time race driver for Virgin Racing in the 2011 Formula One World Championship, partnering Glock. Within the Virgin garage, d'Ambrosio was affectionately nicknamed "Custard," a reference that even appeared on his cockpit during 2011 pre-season testing. Driving the largely uncompetitive Virgin MVR-02, d'Ambrosio demonstrated considerable consistency, finishing sixteen of the nineteen races. His retirements were attributed to reliability issues with electronics, gearbox, and brakes. At the Belgian Grand Prix, he became the first Belgian driver to compete in his home race since Thierry Boutsen in 1993, finishing 17th and notably outperforming teammate Glock. He concluded the season 24th in the Drivers' Championship, with his best results being two 14th-place finishes in Australia and Canada. Despite his performance relative to his teammate, d'Ambrosio was replaced by Charles Pic for the 2012 season. His Formula One journey continued in 2012 when he was appointed the official reserve driver for Lotus F1, supporting Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean. During this period, he also engaged in co-commentary for Sky Sports F1 and RTBF. D'Ambrosio made a surprise return to the grid at the 2012 Italian Grand Prix, stepping in for Romain Grosjean, who had received a one-race ban. He qualified 16th and started 15th, delivering a solid performance to finish 13th and on the lead lap, 76 seconds behind winner Lewis Hamilton. He remained Lotus F1's reserve driver until the end of the 2013 season.

Post-F1 Racing and Management Ascent

Following his Formula One tenure, d'Ambrosio diversified his racing career. In 2014, he transitioned to GT racing, joining Bentley to campaign a Continental GT3 in the Blancpain Endurance Series, achieving a best result of sixth at Monza. The same year, d'Ambrosio embarked on a new chapter in electric motorsport, joining Dragon Racing for the inaugural FIA Formula E Championship. In the 2014-15 season, d'Ambrosio consistently scored points, securing his first series victory at the 2015 Berlin ePrix after a post-race disqualification of the initial victor. He followed this with back-to-back podiums at the London ePrix, culminating in a fourth-place finish in the Drivers' Championship. He was the only driver that season to finish every race and complete every racing lap. He continued with Dragon Racing for the 2015-16 season, securing his first pole position at Punta del Este and his second career victory at the 2016 Mexico City ePrix, again following a disqualification. He finished fifth in the Drivers' Championship. D'Ambrosio remained with Dragon Racing for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. Despite challenging car performance, he secured a podium with a third-place finish at the 2018 Zürich ePrix, ending 14th in the Drivers' Championship and outperforming his teammates. In October 2018, d'Ambrosio moved to Mahindra Racing for the 2018-19 Formula E Championship. He started strongly with a third-place finish in Diriyah and secured his third Formula E victory at the 2019 Marrakesh ePrix. Consistent points finishes saw him lead the Drivers' Championship at the halfway point, eventually finishing 11th, ahead of teammate Pascal Wehrlein. His final season in professional competition was the 2019-20 Formula E Championship with Mahindra Racing. He concluded his racing career with an 18th-place finish in Berlin, ending the season 16th in the championship standings. Beyond circuit racing, d'Ambrosio also featured as a test driver in the inaugural episode of Amazon's "The Grand Tour." D'Ambrosio's career then pivoted towards motorsport management. In October 2020, he joined ROKiT Venturi Racing in Formula E as Deputy Team Principal, promoted to Team Principal by November 2021. Under his leadership, ROKiT Venturi Racing achieved its most successful campaign in the 2021-22 Formula E World Championship, securing five wins, ten podiums, and finishing second in the World Teams' Championship. He departed the team in September 2022. His expertise subsequently drew him to Formula One management. At the start of the 2023 Formula One World Championship, d'Ambrosio began working informally with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. This collaboration formalized at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where he was announced as the Driver Development Director, overseeing Mercedes' young drivers. His responsibilities expanded further when he deputized for Team Principal Toto Wolff from the Japanese Grand Prix through to the Qatar Grand Prix in 2023. In a significant move announced in May 2024, Jérôme d'Ambrosio is set to join Scuderia Ferrari on October 1, 2024, taking on the dual roles of Deputy Team Principal and Head of the Ferrari Driver Academy, underscoring his continued ascent in Formula One's executive ranks.