Jerome D'Ambrosio has admitted that a fi♒nancial package played a key role in him securing his drive with Virgin for the 2011 F1 season.

D'Ambrosio was annou𝓡nced as ✱team-mate to Timo Glock last month and will make his race debut this year having taken part in a number of Friday practice sessions with the team towards the end of 2010.

Virgin's press release announcing D'Ambrosio's signing had said the Belgian driver had earned his seat 'on merit', although the GP2 graduate has now revealed tꦦhat he was able to take a commercial package to the Manor-run team in order to secure his drive.

"Of course there is talent, but also a commercial aspect," he told RTL Belgium. "There are people, partners who are working with me in Belgium, as well as Gravity, who are always working withꦺ me, with Eric Boullier.

"We managed to put together the package we needed to be able to 🤡sign."

Bosses at Spa had suggested that D'Ambrosio's graduation to F1 could be a boost fo💞r the Belgian GP although race promoter Andre Maes said he wasn't convinced that the 24-year-old is the right man to attract fans to the event.

"I do not know about his popularity," he told La Libre. "He remained relatively unknown in GP2 - he is not a star. I am convinced that nine tenths of the viewers on RTB🐭F don't know the sound of his voice.

"It can only be positive, but will it boost ticket sales? I don't know. Did the presence of Philippe Adams or ꦛBas Leinders cauಌse many more Belgians to come?

"The impact wi𝔍ll depend on how he go🍸es during the first races."