DAMS legacy continues as Charles Pic takes over the team

DAMS are set to enter into a new era as the team have announced that Co-Team Principals Olivier and Grégory Driot have come to an agreement with Charles Pic that will see the former Formula 1 driver take over the French outfit.

Olivier and Grégory Driot assumed control of the French outfit in 2019 following the passing of their father, DAMS’ team founder Jean-Paul Driot. The late Frenchman founded the team more than 30 years ago in 1988 and they have gone on to claim 15 drivers’ titles, 16 teams’ championships and 168 victories.

The French outfit have confirmed that the driver line-up and team personnel will remain unchanged for 2022, with Managing Director François Sicard and Chief Engineer Rémi Decorzent remaining in their positions.

Discussing the change of ownership, Formula 2 CEO Bruno Michel said: “Today marks the end of a 30-year-old era launched and made successful by Jean-Paul Driot. I am glad that Charles Pic is the one to take over DAMS. He shares the same passion for the sport that Jean-Paul had. When Charles was last in our paddock, he was a driver on his way to Formula 1.

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“His desire to be involved in Formula 2 has been well thought out, and his project for DAMS is aligned with the team’s thirst for success. The team has been and remains a driving force on our Formula 2 grid, with a lot of success and a knowledgeable group of people working hard to get back to the top of the field.”

The Pic and Driot families are close, and their relationship stretches back almost three decades. Charles-Pierre André, Pic’s grandfather, supported former DAMS’ drivers Éric Bernard and Olivier Panis, while his younger brother Arthur Pic raced for the team in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series in 2012.

DAMS will remain in their Le Mans base, where they helped to bring through the likes of Romain Grosjean, Pierre Gasly, Nicholas Latifi and Alex Albon, who have all since gone on to Formula 1.

Latifi was the team’s most recent F1 graduate, joining Williams on the back of helping DAMS’ to the 2019 F2 Teams’ title.

On continuing the DAMS legacy, Olivier and Grégory Driot said: “Although it is with a heavy heart that we are handing over the team, this is the best way to ensure the DAMS legacy remains and expands. After our father passed, we have always aimed to continue driving the team forwards. However, we know DAMS can excel even further under Charles, and especially with the passionate and loyal people who have been working with us for many years.

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“We want the best for DAMS and Charles has a deep knowledge of motorsport. Under his watch, the team’s legacy will continue and flourish. We feel our father would have been proud of this next step. When Charles approached us, we thought this was a great opportunity, not only for the staff but also the legacy of the Driot family. It is a great honour for us to hand over DAMS to another great French motorsport name.”

Pic is a former Formula 1 driver, who raced for the Marussia F1 Team in 2012 before moving to Caterham in 2013. The 32-year-old Frenchman was a multiple winner in GP2, finishing fourth in the 2011 championship with wins at Barcelona and Monaco.

“I would like to thank Oliver and Grégory for this great opportunity to continue the DAMS story,” said Pic. “Our families have been very close for a long time, as Jean-Paul knew my grandfather, who has supported DAMS drivers in the past like my godfather Éric Bernard and Olivier Panis, and he also helped me a lot during my career. This is a huge honour for me to continue Jean-Paul’s legacy in French motorsport.

“I am still very passionate about motorsport, and this is a long-term project. I look forward to working with François Sicard and Rémi Decorzent, who will continue to manage the team on a daily basis and I have full trust in them. I hugely believe DAMS can be successful both on and off-track and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve with François, Rémi and the rest of the DAMS team members.”