Ferrari have announced Loic Serra will become the team’s technical director for chassis when he begins work for the team next month.
It previous confirmed the former Mercedes’ performance director move to Maranello. Serra has held the position at Mercedes since 2018, and signed to join Ferrari earlier this year along with fellow Mercedes colleague Jerome D’Ambrosio.Serra was originally announced as Ferrari’s new head of chassis performance engineering, reporting to the chassis technical director Enrico Cardile. However, following confirmation that Cardile will instead join Aston Martin as the Silverstone-based team’s chief technical officer, Ferrari has now announced that Serra will assume to the of technical director of chassis instead.
Ferrari’s new hire will assume responsibility for all of their chassis operations, including project engineering, vehicle performance, aerodynamics and track engineering.
As a result of his new role, Serra will report directly to team principal Frederic Vasseur. D’Ambrosio will take his originally intended role as deputy team principal.
Serra gained his first contact with F1 through Michelin, who he joined as quality engineer after graduating from university, He designed a new Formula 1 suspension system which was pitched by Michelin to its customer teams in 2002, then worked in the tyre manufacturer’s research and development wing until it left the sport in 2006.
Serra then joined BMW Sauber where he worked as suspension engineer. When Mercedes confirmed they would take over the Brawn GP team and their Brackley factory to become their works F1 team for 2010, Serra joined the team as chief engineer for vehicle engineering, then became head of vehicle dynamics in 2013.
After a further promotion to chief vehicle dynamicist in 2016, Serra became Mercedes performance director at the end of the 2018 season. He will leave Mercedes at the end of this month in his 15th year working for the multiple world champions.
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notagrumpyfan
5th September 2024, 13:26
What is/was Jerome D’Ambrosio’s role at Mercedes?
I don’t think he ever drove for them in any series or for an engine customer.
MichaelN
5th September 2024, 14:20
He was there for the junior drivers.
notagrumpyfan
5th September 2024, 15:42
I guess he is no longer needed with Kimi turning 18 ;)
Nick T.
5th September 2024, 15:30
Any mention of Jerome D’Ambrosio makes me chuckle as anytime I see any sort of vote for best driver of all time, DOTD, etc., done via name users sending in a name, I always submit D’Ambrosio because the randomness of it amuses me even if it amuses no one else. lol
Alesici
6th September 2024, 13:27
Any such mention makes me chuckle when I quote Martin Brundle in my head:
“It’s all turned to custard for D’Ambrosio…”
Nick T.
9th September 2024, 1:25
lol, when did he say that?
Nick T.
5th September 2024, 15:34
ps – He’s sort of a coincidental name to be coming up right now with all the K-Mag talk because he was the substitute for Grosjean in Monza after his ban for wiping out all of Seb’s title challengers. I bet Seb, who was starting from the back row in Spa, couldn’t believe his luck when that happened.