Change at Pirelli
Formula 1: The Lord of the Tires is leaving
02/27/2026 – 01:32 amReading time: 2 minutes
Change at Pirelli in Formula 1: Motorsport boss Mario Isola quits. A successor has already been determined.
He never sat behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car, and yet Mario Isola played a significant role in the outcome of a race. The 56-year-old has been employed by the tire manufacturer Pirelli since 1996 and has been working in the group’s Formula 1 division for almost ten years. In 2021 he was promoted to head of motorsport. Now the Italian has quit.
Isola was the face of the manufacturer at the races. In front of the microphones and cameras of motorsport journalists, he explained which tire compounds were chosen and why. He explained which tire strategy is best for which team. That’s over now. He will stay until July 1st, then he wants to take on new challenges, according to the tire company.
His successor has already been chosen. “Pirelli announces that Dario Marrafuschi will take over the management of Pirelli’s motorsport business with effect from March 1st, succeeding Mario Isola, who will remain available until July 1st to ensure a smooth and effective transition,” Pirelli said.
Marrafuschi joined Pirelli in 2008 and has experience in Pirelli’s Formula 1 research and development department. Most recently, Marrafuschi led the development of Pirelli’s road tires. Like Isola, Marrafuschi will report to Giovanni Tronchetti Provera, executive vice president of sustainability, new mobility and motorsports.
Pirelli has been the exclusive tire supplier to Formula 1 since 2011. The company provides all teams with identical slick and rain tires and thus has a central responsibility for safety, performance and equal opportunities in the starting field.
As a standard supplier, Pirelli develops the tires in close coordination with the FIA and the racing series, with aspects such as durability, temperature windows, compounds and construction being tailored to the respective vehicle and track requirements.
