Jerome D’Ambrosio clarifies his role in Ferrari as right-hand man of Fred Vasseur. Jerome D’Ambrosio explained that he expects to be present at around 18 races.

Another new addition
Among the new faces making their debut at Ferrari these days is former driver Jerome D’Ambrosio, who—like Lewis Hamilton and Loïc Serra—has arrived in Maranello from Mercedes. The Belgian takes on the role of Fred Vasseur’s deputy and is also the new head of the Ferrari Driver Academy, the program dedicated to nurturing young talents under the Prancing Horse’s wing.

During the press conference organized by Ferrari yesterday, following the SF-25’s first laps on track, Jerome D’Ambrosio had the opportunity to introduce himself to the media and clarify his role within the team. The Belgian manager serves as Fred Vasseur’s true right-hand man, relieving the team principal of certain responsibilities during race weekends.

Complementary roles
“There isn’t a strict definition of what will land on my desk,” the former Marussia driver explained. “It ranges from pure engineering to performance, finance, human resources, and any other aspect a team principal might deal with. Fred and I truly split the work this way. I think we function well together because we are very close—our offices are right across from each other. We probably talk 20 times a day. That’s just how it works. And to be honest, there are no plans to change this setup because it works very well.” – he pointed out.

However, Jerome D’Ambrosio clarified that he will not attend all 24 races on the calendar, as the priority is to maximize efficiency for every individual. “Right now, it is estimated that I will attend around 18 races, something like that,” the deputy team principal explained. “So, of course, I will be very present at the track. But the goal with Fred is to be complementary. I can tell you, for example, that I won’t be in China because it would be highly inefficient. I will be at the first race, but we don’t want to leave the factory unattended for too long. So, we will alternate. There will be races where I stay back to oversee operations at the factory. Naturally, the exact number of races I attend will depend on the evolution of the 2026 project, and we will adjust accordingly.” – Jerome D’Ambrosio concluded.