– Mario Isola is moving on, but saying goodbye to Formula 1 is visibly difficult for him. “Leaving behind a second family here is hard to accept,” says the Pirelli motorsport boss, who was one of the most consistent contacts in the paddock for over a decade. The new role excites him, but it cannot replace the bond with this place.
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In recent weeks, many people in the paddock have approached him—colleagues, team members, drivers. They told him what his work has meant for Formula 1 and that they will miss him. For Isola, these words were a quiet but strong sign of how much he has become part of this world.
He has accompanied more than 330 Grands Prix in this role. A number that even surprises him. Choosing a single highlight from that is hardly possible, he says. Yet one scene immediately comes to mind: Melbourne 2011, Pirelli’s first race as the sole supplier, the start of a new era.
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“At the end of the race, we cried because we were so emotional,” recalls Isola. The months before were marked by pressure of expectations, testing programs, uncertainties. In Melbourne, it became clear that the concept worked. The tires opened up strategies, challenged the teams, made the race livelier. That moment stayed with us.
But not every memory is of that quality. Japan 2014, the accident of Jules Bianchi, is a turning point for Isola. “That was not good,” he says simply. It is one of those days that cast a gray film over everything in the paddock. A moment that remains, even as years pass.
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Recently, however, he experienced moments that touched him especially as an Italian. An Italian driver back on the podium, the anthem echoing through the paddock. “That is nice, and I hope it gets better and better in the next races,” he says, almost with a small smile.
A secret, unfulfilled wish remains
And then Isola talks about the point that remains open for him. “It’s a pity that I never got to see Ferrari win a title,” he says. As a Pirelli man, he always had to remain neutral, he was not allowed to show any colors, no sympathies. But that one wish remained.
Ferrari’s last title is far behind, too far for someone who has accompanied the entire Pirelli era. 2007 the driver’s title, 2008 the constructor’s title. Since then close, often disappointed, always in the spotlight. For Isola as a private person, a Ferrari title would have been a special closing point.
He just says: “Hopefully it will happen in the future,” he says simply. And leaves it at that. An Italian doesn’t need to say more …
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