Jérôme d’Ambrosio and Loïc Serra are leaving Mercedes for Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton will not arrive alone at Ferrari next year. He is taking with him Jérôme d’Ambrosio and Loïc Serra, who are leaving Mercedes for the Italian team. A great move for Fred Vasseur. The team director of the Scuderia will be able to rely on the advice of Jérôme d’Ambrosio, who will take on the role of deputy sports director from October 1st.

The Belgian is also appointed head of the Ferrari Driver Academy, the young driver program of the Maranello brand. A former racing driver until 2020, his record includes one victory in GP2, three in Formula E, and he also participated in 20 Formula 1 Grand Prix races from 2011 to 2012. At Mercedes, he worked alongside team principal Toto Wolff and led the young driver program of the Stuttgart-based company. He notably replaced Wolff in two races last year when the Austrian had to undergo knee surgery.

On his side, Frenchman Loïc Serra takes on the role of head of chassis performance engineering, reporting to Enrico Cardile, overseeing various areas in Maranello, including Track Engineering, Aerodynamic Development, Aerodynamic Operations, and Vehicle Performance, as explained by the Scuderia in a press release. Graduated in mechanical engineering after studying in Aix-en-Provence and Paris, he has worked for Michelin and for the Formula 1 teams BMW-Sauber and Mercedes. He will also begin his new position at Ferrari on October 1st.

For Mercedes, this is undoubtedly a blow. Departures within the team add to the challenges encountered since the adoption of new technical regulations in 2022. Once unbeatable, with eight consecutive constructors’ titles, the team based in Brackley has had its worst start to the season in 2024…