People & Careers

Pirelli appoints Dario Marrafuschi as new Head of Motorsport Business Unit

Published:

February 27, 2026

Author:

Pirelli Names Dario Marrafuschi Head of Motorsport, Replacing Isola.

Pirelli's motorsport division is entering a leadership transition at one of the more demanding points in its race tyre development cycle. Dario Marrafuschi takes over as Head of the Motorsport Business Unit on 1 March, with Mario Isola remaining until 1 July to manage continuity across series and stakeholders. For the tyre trade, the appointment is worth tracking: Marrafuschi brings a dual background in Formula 1 research and development and road-tyre programme management, a combination that points toward tighter alignment between racing validation and commercial product decisions.

What Pirelli Has Confirmed, And The Handover Timeline

Marrafuschi joined Pirelli in 2008. He has worked in Formula 1 research and development and, more recently, led road product development programmes. In his recent role, he will report to Giovanni Tronchetti Provera,



Executive Vice President of Sustainability, New Mobility and Motorsport.

Isola will remain in post until 1 July. Pirelli has framed the overlap as a structured handover rather than an immediate departure, covering live programme commitments and stakeholder relationships across the series Pirelli supplies.

Separately, Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI) president Geronimo La Russa confirmed that Isola will move to ACI Sport, describing the appointment as "a very significant step" for the national motorsport sector. That framing positions Isola's departure as a planned transition rather than an exit.

Why the appointment matters beyond the paddock

Pirelli's motorsport operation functions as a compressed validation environment for compounds, constructions and test methods. Learnings from race tyre development (particularly around thermal management, compound durability and structural performance under load) can feed into the desi

📌 Pirelli appoints Dario Marrafuschi as new Head of Motorsport Business Unit (Raver)
🏢 Tyre News Media
📍 Raver