Jérôme d'Ambrosio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jérôme d'Ambrosio
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D'Ambrosio at the 2022 Berlin ePrix
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| Born | 27 December 1985 |
| Education | St. John's International School |
| Occupation |
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| Employer | |
| Title |
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| Spouse(s) |
Natalie Sifferman
(m. 2013; div. 2015)Eleonore von Habsburg
(m. 2020) |
| Children | 1 |
| Family | House of Habsburg-Lorraine (jure uxoris) |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Belgian |
| Active years | 2011–2012 |
| Teams | Virgin, Lotus |
| Entries | 20 (20 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 2011 Australian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2012 Italian Grand Prix |
| Formula E career | |
| Years active | 2014–2020 |
| Teams | Dragon, Mahindra |
| Car no. | 7 (2014–2018) 64 (2018–2020) |
| Starts | 68 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 3 |
| Podiums | 9 |
| Poles | 2 |
| Fastest laps | 3 |
| Best finish | 4th in 2014–15 |
| Previous series | |
| 2014 2008–2010 2008–2009 2007 2006 2006 2005 2004–2005 2004 2003 2003 |
Blancpain Endurance Series GP2 Series GP2 Asia Series International Formula Master Formula Renault 3.5 Euroseries 3000 Italian Formula Renault Formula Renault Eurocup French Formula Renault Formula König Belgian Formula Renault |
| Championship titles | |
| 2007 2003 |
International Formula Master Belgian Formula Renault |
Jérôme d'Ambrosio (born 27 December 1985) is a Belgian former racing driver. He also works as a top manager in the world of motorsport. He raced in Formula One from 2011 to 2012.
Since October 2024, d'Ambrosio has been the deputy team boss for Ferrari in Formula One. He also leads the Ferrari Driver Academy, which helps train young drivers.
Jérôme grew up in Brussels, Belgium. He started kart racing at age 13. Just three years later, he won the Karting World Cup. He then moved up to junior racing series in 2003. That same year, he won his first championship in Belgian Formula Renault.
After four seasons in Formula Renault, he joined International Formula Master. He won this championship in its first season in 2007. D'Ambrosio then raced in the GP2 Series from 2008 to 2010. He earned several podium finishes there. He also finished second in the GP2 Asia Series.
D'Ambrosio raced for Marussia Virgin Racing and Lotus F1 in Formula One. This was during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. From 2014 to 2020, he competed in Formula E. He drove for Dragon Racing and Mahindra Racing. He won three races in Formula E. These wins were in Berlin (2015), Mexico City (2016), and Marrakesh (2019). He also used to be the Team Principal for Venturi Racing in Formula E.
Contents
- Early Life and Racing Start
- Life After Racing: Management Career
- Personal Life
- Racing Record
- Images for kids
Early Life and Racing Start
Jérôme d'Ambrosio was born on 27 December 1985. His hometown is Etterbeek, Brussels, Belgium.
Karting Success (1999–2002)
D'Ambrosio started his racing journey in karting in 1999. By 2002, he was a three-time Belgian champion. He won the Mini class in 1999, Junior class in 2000, and Formula A in 2002. He also won the Junior Monaco Kart Cup in 2000. In 2002, he became the World Cup Formula A champion.
Climbing the Ranks in Junior Racing (2003–2007)
In 2003, d'Ambrosio moved into single-seater racing. He won the Belgian Formula Renault championship. He achieved five wins with Thierry Boutsen Racing. He also finished fourth in the German Formula König series.
In 2004, Jérôme joined the Renault F1 Driver Development Programme. He competed in the French Formula Renault 2.0 series. He finished fourth, being the best rookie driver. He also raced in the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup. In 2005, he raced in Italian Formula Renault. He finished third in the Winter Series and fourth overall. He earned three wins and six podiums that year.
D'Ambrosio moved up to the Formula Renault 3.5 Series in 2006. He later switched to Euroseries 3000. He finished fifth in the standings, even though he missed half the season. In 2007, he raced in the first season of International Formula Master. He won the championship with five wins and 11 podiums.
GP2 Series Journey (2008–2010)
In 2008, d'Ambrosio joined the GP2 Series. This series helps drivers get to Formula One. He also raced in the new GP2 Asia Series. He finished 11th in both series, with two podiums in each. He continued with the DAMS team in 2009. He finished second in the 2008–09 GP2 Asia Series. He had four podium finishes.
In the 2009 GP2 Series, he started strong with three podiums. He ended the season in ninth place. In 2010, he had a great season with DAMS. He won his first GP2 race in Monaco. He also got his first pole position at his home race in Belgium. He finished 12th in the standings that year.
Formula One Career (2010–2013)
In January 2010, d'Ambrosio became the Reserve Driver for the Renault F1 Team. Later that year, he made his Formula One weekend debut. He took part in four practice sessions with Virgin Racing. These were in Singapore, Japan, Korea, and Brazil.
Racing for Virgin (2011)
On 21 December 2010, it was announced that d'Ambrosio would race for Virgin Racing in 2011. He was known as "Custard" in the team garage. This was a fun nickname related to a famous UK food brand.
He drove the Virgin MVR-02, which was not a very fast car. He finished 16 out of 19 races. He had to stop early in Malaysia, Italy, and Abu Dhabi due to car problems. D'Ambrosio was the first Belgian driver to race in the 2011 Belgian Grand Prix since 1993. He finished 17th, ahead of his teammate. He ended the season 24th overall. His best finishes were two 14th places in Australia and Canada.
Joining Lotus (2012–2013)
On 24 January 2012, d'Ambrosio became the official Reserve Driver for Lotus F1. He supported the main drivers, Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean. He also worked as a TV commentator for Formula One and other races.
D'Ambrosio raced for Lotus at the 2012 Italian Grand Prix. He replaced Grosjean, who was banned for one race. He started 15th and finished 13th. He stayed as Lotus F1's Reserve Driver until the end of 2013.
GT Racing Experience
In 2014, d'Ambrosio moved from single-seater cars to GT racing. He joined Bentley to race a Continental GT3 in the Blancpain Endurance Series. His best finish was sixth place at the Monza race.
Formula E Adventures (2014–2020)
D'Ambrosio joined Dragon Racing for the first season of the FIA Formula E Championship in 2014–15.
Dragon Racing Years
2014–15 Season
D'Ambrosio scored points in his first race, finishing sixth. He won his first Formula E race at the 2015 Berlin ePrix. This happened after the original winner was disqualified. He got two podium finishes in London. He finished fourth in the Drivers' Championship with 113 points. He was the only driver to finish every race that season. Dragon Racing finished second in the Teams' Championship.
2015–16 Season
He stayed with Dragon Racing for the 2015–16 season. He got his first pole position in Punta del Este and finished third. He won his second race at the 2016 Mexico City ePrix. Again, this was after the first-place driver was disqualified. He finished fifth in the Drivers' Championship with 83 points.
2016–17 Season
D'Ambrosio continued with Dragon Racing in 2016–17. The team started making its own car parts. His best finish was seventh in Hong Kong. He scored more points in Buenos Aires, New York, and Montreal. He finished 18th in the championship.
2017–18 Season
He raced for Dragon Racing for a fourth season. The team's car was not very competitive. He scored his first points of the season in Santiago, finishing eighth. He also got points in Punta del Este and Rome. In Zürich, he finished third, which was his best result. He ended the season 14th overall.
Mahindra Racing Years
On 13 October 2018, d'Ambrosio moved to Mahindra Racing for the 2018–19 season.
2018–19 Season
He finished third in the first race in Diriyah. He then won his third Formula E race in Marrakesh. He scored more points in Santiago, Mexico City, Sanya, and Rome. He was leading the Drivers' Championship halfway through the season. However, the second half was tougher. He finished 11th in the championship with 67 points.
2019–2020 Season
D'Ambrosio continued with Mahindra Racing for the 2019–20 season. The car had trouble with energy use during races. He scored points in Diriyah and had his best finish in Berlin. He finished 16th in the Drivers' Championship. At the end of the season, d'Ambrosio announced he was retiring from racing. His last race was in Berlin.
Other Appearances
Jérôme d'Ambrosio appeared in the first episode of "The Grand Tour". This is a popular car show on Amazon. He was a test driver, setting lap times for supercars like the LaFerrari.
Life After Racing: Management Career
Formula E Management
Leading Venturi Racing (2020–2022)
On 30 October 2020, d'Ambrosio joined ROKiT Venturi Racing. He became the Deputy Team Principal. This was his first step into managing a racing team. In November 2021, he was promoted to Team Principal.
Under his leadership, Venturi Racing had its best season ever in 2021–22. The team won five races and got 10 podiums. They finished second in the World Teams' Championship. On 16 September 2022, d'Ambrosio left the team.
Moving to Formula One Management (2023–Present)
Working with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team (2023–2024)
D'Ambrosio started working with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team in 2023. He worked closely with team boss Toto Wolff. At the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, he got a formal role. He became the Driver Development Director. In this job, he looked after Mercedes' young drivers. He even filled in for Toto Wolff at some races in 2023.
Joining Scuderia Ferrari (2024–Present)
Scuderia Ferrari announced in May 2024 that d'Ambrosio would join them. He started on 1 October 2024. He is now the Deputy Team Principal for Ferrari. He also leads the Ferrari Driver Academy. This program helps develop future Ferrari drivers.
Personal Life
In 2013, Jérôme d'Ambrosio married Natalie Sifferman. They later separated. In 2020, d'Ambrosio married Austrian jewellery designer Eleonore von Habsburg. On 20 October 2021, they had a son named Otto.
Racing Record
Career Summary
| Season | Series | Team Name | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
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| 2003 | Formula Renault 1.6 Belgium | Thierry Boutsen Racing | 14 | 5 | 3 | 7 | ? | ? | 1st |
| Formula König | N/A | 12 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 240 | 4th | |
| 2004 | Championnat de France Formula Renault 2.0 | Graff Racing | 14 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 156 | 4th |
| Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 16th | ||
| 2005 | Formula Renault 2.0 Italia | Euronova Racing | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 199 | 4th |
| Formula Renault 2.0 Italia Winter Series | 4 | 2 | 0 | ? | 2 | 40 | 3rd | ||
| Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 15th | ||
| Italian Formula 3000 Light | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 6th | ||
| 2006 | Euroseries 3000 | Euronova Racing | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 39 | 5th |
| Formula Renault 3.5 Series | Tech 1 Racing | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36th | |
| FIA GT Championship – GT2 | Belgian Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | |
| 2007 | International Formula Master | Cram Competition | 16 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 100 | 1st |
| 2008 | GP2 Series | DAMS | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 11th |
| GP2 Asia Series | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 11th | ||
| 2008–09 | GP2 Asia Series | DAMS | 11 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 36 | 2nd |
| 2009 | GP2 Series | DAMS | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 29 | 9th |
| 2010 | GP2 Series | DAMS | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 12th |
| Formula One | Virgin Racing | Test driver | |||||||
| 2011 | Formula One | Marussia Virgin Racing | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24th |
| 2012 | Formula One | Lotus F1 Team | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23rd |
| 2013 | Formula One | Lotus F1 Team | Reserve driver | ||||||
| 2014 | Blancpain Endurance Series | M-Sport | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 17th |
| 2014–15 | Formula E | Dragon Racing | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 113 | 4th |
| 2015–16 | Formula E | Dragon Racing | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 83 | 5th |
| 2016–17 | Formula E | Faraday Future Dragon Racing | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 18th |
| 2017–18 | Formula E | Dragon Racing | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 14th |
| 2018 | Stock Car Brasil | Cimed Racing Team | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC† |
| 2018–19 | Formula E | Mahindra Racing | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 67 | 11th |
| 2019–20 | Formula E | Mahindra Racing | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 16th |
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† As d'Ambrosio was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points.
Images for kids
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D'Ambrosio driving for DAMS at the Turkish GP2 race in 2009.
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D'Ambrosio as a third driver for Virgin Racing at the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix.
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D'Ambrosio at the 2011 Spanish Grand Prix.
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D'Ambrosio at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix.
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D'Ambrosio at the 2014 Punta del Este ePrix.
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D'Ambrosio finished third at the 2015 Punta del Este ePrix.
