Jérome d’Ambrosio: “I will be in F1 in 2012”
Jérome d'Ambrosio was not retained by the Marussia Virgin team for 2012, but the Belgian driver still believes he has a chance to continue his Formula 1 career in 2012 despite a limited number of available seats.
Charles Pic was preferred over Jerome d’Ambrosio to support Timo Glock at Marussia for 2012. The Belgian driver, who constantly received praise from his bosses, ultimately only raced for one season for the team, which now races under a Russian flag.
The Belgian driver, managed by Eric Boullier through Gravity Management, admitted that for now his situation had not changed since the last race of the season held at Interlagos in Brazil.
Nothing has really changed for me since Brazil. Not even the appointment of Romain Grosjean because Lotus-Renault was never really an option for me, Jérome d’Ambrosio told La Dernière Heure.
Gravity is also in discussions with several teams for 2012, and according to the Belgian newspaper, it would be HRT, Caterham F1, and Williams.
“We are still discussing at this stage with three of the five teams that still have driver seats available for 2012,” Benjamin Mignot, who manages d’Ambrosio’s career at Gravity, told the Belgian newspaper.
Benjamin Mignot also noted that, as in 2011, the Belgian driver lacked financial support – which is what tipped the balance in favor of Charles Pic at Marussia – but d’Ambrosio is in a better position than during his F1 debut because the Belgian seems to be in demand, even though things might not become clear until early 2012.
We may not yet have enough budget to sign right away, but we are no longer considered the poor relations of the paddock. To tell the truth, at this point in time, we have already managed to put together the reasonable price we wish to pay for a very consistent driver and a better developer than Petrov, Senna, Liuzzi, or others on the market. To develop a car, it takes more than just money. I receive daily calls. It might not move before the holidays, added Mignot.
In case of failure to continue as a main driver in 2012, d’Ambrosio might settle for a role as a reserve driver – his name has notably been mentioned in connection with LRGP. But this is not the Belgian driver’s wish at the moment.
In one way or another, I will be in F1 in 2012. And a reserve role is not the priority today, concluded d’Ambrosio.
