Since being announced as the second driver at Virgin Racing, Jerome d’Ambrosio says he’s been overwhelmed with support from Formula One fans in his home country of Belgium.
The 25-year-old has replaced Lucas di Grassi at the Dinnington based outfit for the 2011 season, ending a 17-year period of F1 not having a Belgian on the grid – the last being Philipe Adams whom competed in two races for Lotus in 1994.
“The other day I went into a couple of shops and both times they recognised me,” he told Crash.net. “That was a first for me.
“It’s funny, but people in Belgium have a lot of respect as well so I don’t feel under pressure. They were just wishing me good luck for the season and were really proud. It’s great to hear people saying that.”
Whilst d’Ambrosio might not be feeling the pressure thanks to his well-wishers, he knows he must deliver consistent results to ensure he remains a figure on the grid in the future.
“It’s been 17 years, yeah [since Philipe Adams] – it’s something fantastic, but now I have to get the most out of this chance. I’ve realised that people in Belgium love F1; I couldn’t have expected such a reaction and I didn’t expect that reaction, that everyone is so enthusiastic about it, and I’ll do my best so I can stay as long as possible in F1,” he added.
Meanwhile, he admitted to having an obvious soft-spot for the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, a track which is highly regarded as the best on the calendar by fans and drivers alike.
“For me, Spa is very important. It’s my home race, and more than being just my home grand prix, it’s one of the nicest circuits in the world.
“Silverstone will be special too, because it’s the home race for the team and driving the track there is fantastic – Becketts, Copse, everything is special – but also Monaco, Suzuka… I cannot wait to be out there!”
