D’Ambrosio: “A new chapter in my career”

After a year as a main driver, Jérôme d’Ambrosio was not retained by the Marussia team. He therefore decided to bounce back with a top-tier team but as the third driver. The Belgian decided to join the Lotus F1 Team, led by Eric Boullier.

« It’s a great feeling to join Lotus F1 Team. This new chapter in my career is exciting. I competed all last season with a smaller team, but I learned a lot about Formula 1 there. Today, I have the opportunity to work with a top team with strong potential for my future progression. I know that, thanks to my recent racing experience, I can make a valuable contribution to the team,» Jérôme d’Ambrosio stated on the Lotus F1 team website.

Even though he is discovering a new team, the Belgian already knows the Lotus team and its Enstone factory well because he has already served as a testing or demonstration driver for the team a few years ago.

I have known the team for several years and I am familiar with Enstone. It is a magnificent facility, another world in terms of size and number of personnel. The factory is larger, it has enormous potential. It will give me plenty of opportunities to learn and progress in my profession as a driver.

As a test and reserve driver, d’Ambrosio will be responsible for conducting tests in the team’s simulator to prepare for the Grand Prix and to develop the car. Team Lotus has acquired a new simulator, which will be available during the year. The Belgian is eager to test this new tool.

It will constitute the largest part of my contribution to the team over the course of the season and it will keep me at the top. I’m really looking forward to using it. I can bring a lot to this area. Once it’s up and running, the program will be truly intense. It won’t be a once-a-week session, but full-time. It’s a wonderful tool to push the development of the car and myself as a driver. I’m eager for the work to begin.

Thanks to his 2011 season, Jérome d’Ambrosio was able to gain some knowledge of the Formula 1 world, understanding how a single-seater operates, how to set it up, and learning the circuits on the calendar. He therefore believes he can offer more than a driver who has never raced in F1.

« I had a great season in Formula 1. The opportunity was fantastic, but now I want to progress. Through my recent racing experience, I can bring more to the team than someone who hasn’t raced recently. »

When you arrive in Formula 1, everything is so new, so big. It’s hard to know what to focus on, how to work, but it gets better with experience. I know the tires, I know the different types of rubber, I have experience with the circuits and the settings. So I can contribute during discussions with the engineers and drivers.

I am very determined to help both regular drivers and the team in any way possible and, of course, I am ready to jump in the car if the opportunity arises one day. After competing in the 2011 season, I feel fit, fresh and ready.

Who says new team, says new acquaintances in general. Jérôme d’Ambrosio will therefore get to know Kimi Räikkönen throughout the 2012 season. The coexistence with Romain Grosjean should be simpler because the two men already know each other.

“I have never met Kimi and I am eager to see him. He’s a legend in Formula 1. I can’t wait to watch him work with the engineers and understand how a world champion manages his work. I know Romain quite well. We have raced together and we have been teammates. We are from the same generation and we get along well,” added d’Ambrosio.