Susie Wolff appointed CEO of Venturi Formula E team
Susie Wolff has been appointed chief executive officer at the Venturi Racing Formula E squad as experienced former driver Jerome D'Ambrosio takes her previous position of team principal.
Wolff took on the role of team principal for the Monegasque concern in July 2018 as part of a three-year plan to raise the profile and competitive standing of the outfit, having retained the role when the team found new ownership led by chairman Scott Swid in December 2020.
Ex-Formula 1 driver D'Ambrosio joined Venturi as deputy team principal for the 2021 season upon his retirement from racing following his departure from the Mahindra Racing team.
With that structure in place and using a Mercedes customer powertrain, Edoardo Mortara finished runner-up in the drivers' table last season as Venturi ranked seventh of the 12 teams.
This restructure has been in the works for some time as Wolff evaluated her role throughout the latter half of the 2021 term.
Although upon joining Venturi, it was not directly foreseen that D'Ambrosio would become team principal.
Wolff said: "After serving as team principal for the past three years, the timing feels right for this change.
"Since taking on this role in 2018, I have experienced a great sense of pride and achievement from how we have gone from strength to strength as an organisation.
"Since joining the team last year, Jerome has made a positive impact and I know that I'm leaving the team operations in very capable hands as Formula E advances towards its third generation of competition in [2022-23]."
Jerome d'Ambrosio, Deputy Team Principal, Venturi Racing
Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
While Wolff is expected to attend fewer races from here on, she will retain an active role that will likely include seeking a new powertrain deal for the Gen3 era following the news that Venturi's current engine partner Mercedes will quit the series in its factory guise at the end of the 2022 term.
She will also oversee the strategic and commercial operations of the team, having been at the centre of the deal for Venturi to secure its first title-sponsor with ROKiT for 2019-20.
D'Ambrosio, a series mainstay and three-time race winner via stints at Dragon and Mahindra, added: "I'm grateful to the team for entrusting me with this opportunity.
"As Susie's successor as team principal, I know that I have big shoes to fill and I'm someone who has always relished a new challenge.
"Over the past 12 months, I have learned a lot from Susie, and I believe that together, we will continue to make an incredibly strong team.
"This team dynamic resulted in us achieving our most successful campaign to date, which is a fantastic foundation to build upon for the future.
"With Edo and Lucas [di Grassi, the 2017-18 champion moving from Audi] in the car next season, and after our form from [2021], the whole team is feeling positive and very motivated to get back out on track, working together towards another successful championship."
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