Lewis Hamilton will part ways with Mercedes in 2025, bringing an end to his 12-year association with the Silver Arrows. He has made some strong bonds with some members of the team, who helped him win six world championships and wants to take them with him as he moves to Ferrari. According to recent reports, a key Mercedes figure responsible for the team’s future will now follow Hamilton to the Maranello-based outfit.
Jerome d’Ambrosio, who is currently Mercedes’ driver development director is the man poised to leave. Next Gen-Auto Motorsport reveals that he will head Ferrari’s driver development upon serving a gardening leave as the team enters a new era.
#F1 | Jerome d’Ambrosio, ex-F1 driver and currently working as Mercedes’ driver development director, looks set to follow Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari in 2025.
Sources have suggested that he will head up Ferrari’s driver development academy and that d’Ambrosio “has already agreed… pic.twitter.com/Xpc4PKRW6V
— deni (@fiagirly) March 7, 2024
Lewis, Mick, George, and Jerome d’Ambrosio earlier today #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/E8rJA8qp1e
— Sir Lewis Updates (@LH44updates) March 2, 2023
However, Hamilton is said to have had no direct influence on this move. D’Ambrosio spoke to Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur and will leave the Brackley-based outfit for Ferrari in 2025. With this, Mercedes loses a key figure whose job was the secure and directly oversee the development of future stars in the team.
More about Jerome d’Ambrosio as he follows the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton
D’Ambrosio has worked in the world of motorsports his whole life. Before taking up managerial and executive roles in the sport, he was an F1 driver himself. The 38-year-old drove for Marussia and Lotus in 2011 and 2012. However, he didn’t find a lot of success behind the wheel in F1.
He moved to Formula E in 2014 and stayed in the category till 2020. He raced 68 times for Dragon and Mahindra Racing and won three races. His relationship with Toto Wolff and his wife Susie also developed during his time in Formula E.
Just Jerome D’Ambrosio celebrating wins in Mexico, five years apart pic.twitter.com/HqlV976IQK
— Sophie (@sophsomething) June 21, 2021
After his racing career was over, he became the deputy team principal of Venturi Racing, and Susie Wolff was this team’s CEO. His connection with her helped him get into Mercedes, where he was billed as Toto Wolff’s successor by many.
When Wolff underwent surgery last season, he was in charge of the team for two whole race weekends. Unfortunately for Wolff and Co., he will not be the man to take over the reins at Brackley. He joins their most successful driver ever, hoping to steer the iconic Ferrari team back to the top of F1.
