Live from Barcelona with Jérôme d’Ambrosio

You were the third driver last year, you are the reserve driver this year, how does that change your role in the team?

Now, I am much more based in a factory role, even though I am still at the Grand Prix, it is true that my main role is primarily working in the simulator, at the factory, in the background. It’s a bit more of a behind-the-scenes job, so to speak, but it’s true that it keeps me busy. It’s mainly in development and testing that we can do in the simulator.

Will you be driving for aerodynamic tests later in the year or will it still be Davide Valsecchi?

As for me, I won’t do it. I don’t know what they have planned at that level yet, but I won’t do it.

Do you share the work on the simulator with Nicolas Prost, who is also the development driver?

But there is a big program on the simulator, and it’s true that I still travel to the Grand Prix races. There isn’t just one driver working on the simulator; there are several of us. That’s what I’m focusing on the most this year, the development, the work we can do on it without describing what we’re doing because, of course, we can’t say what we’re working on, but that’s what I’m concentrating on the most. It’s a tool we use a lot, so there are several drivers working on it.

Except for Monza last year, you haven’t raced regularly in F1 since 2011, do you miss it?

A lot. Now, it’s something we know too, if I didn’t miss it, I wouldn’t be a race car driver, so it’s normal for me to miss it. And as long as I’m not behind the wheel, I will always miss it.

Are you considering competing in another discipline alongside your role at Lotus?

If a good opportunity arises, yes. But it’s true that it’s a very busy season with Formula 1, especially with my role at Lotus. For now, that’s really what I’m focusing on. If a one-off opportunity comes up that’s very interesting, we’ll do it.

For now, there’s nothing concrete?

For now, there is nothing. For now, I remain focused on my F1 program. There is nothing, we’ve had opportunities, we have opportunities, but for now, let’s say there is nothing we want to dive into.

If nothing came up, could you further expand your role in the media, particularly your role as a commentator?

No. I do it because, well… But in the long term, it’s not something that interests me at all.

The Lotus seems competitive, the team is 2nd in the constructors’ championship, Kimi Räikkönen is 2nd among the drivers, how do you see the season? Do you think the team can continue on this trajectory and finish in these positions or even higher?

I think we have a really good pace in the race and in qualifying, we’re managing quite well. It’s true that this weekend, Barcelona is considered a bit of a hub of the championship because there are major developments, and because if we’re still performing well in Barcelona, we continue to progress well. And that’s the case. We’re 1 tenth behind Vettel in qualifying, well, it’s true that we’re a bit further from the Mercedes, but we know that one of their strengths is qualifying. However, in the race, normally, they’re a bit weaker. So I think we have overall performance that is excellent, and if we can continue this, it will go great.

Kimi will start 4th and Romain 6th, do you think we can dream of a victory, a podium, a double podium?

We can dream of a victory, we can dream of a double podium. We were in a much worse position in Bahrain on the grid [and Räikkönen and Grosjean finished on the podium, editor’s note] so of course I think that’s why we have to fight, and after we’ll see. But it’s clear that we have the means to do it.

From our special correspondent in Barcelona