F1 in Madrid: Andrea Pontremoli discusses the Motor Valley ecosystem at the Italian Embassy
On the occasion of Formula 1’s return to Madrid after 45 years, the gardens of the Italian Embassy in the Spanish capital hosted the institutional event “De Italia a Madrid: La Pasión Viaja en Fórmula 1”, organized by the Embassy in collaboration with the ICE-Italian Trade Agency and IFEMA-Madrid.
The institutional welcomes featured a speech by Andrea Pontremoli, CEO of Dallara and President of Motor Valley & MUNER, alongside the Italian Ambassador to Spain Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi, F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali, President of IFEMA-Madrid José Vicente de los Mozos, ACI President Geronimo La Russa, and Deputy Team Principal of Scuderia Ferrari Jérôme D’Ambrosio.
Held in the presence of approximately 400 representatives from institutional, corporate, industrial, investment, media, academic, and technological sectors across both countries, the meeting highlighted the strategic value of the Italian Motor Valley — described during the evening as the “Silicon Valley of motorsport” — as an ecosystem where major groups, family businesses, universities, and research and training centers collaborate to leverage expertise developed over generations.
The inclusion of Madrid in the F1 world calendar thus represents a key opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations and foster new collaborations between Italy and Spain across technology, mobility, research, and industry.
District companies take center stage in panel discussions
The panel sessions, moderated by Sky Sport F1 journalist Carlo Vanzini, featured representatives from several leading companies in the regional motorsport supply chain: Peter Bayer (CEO of Racing Bulls), Nicola Girotti (Head of Product Design at Pininfarina), Roberto Grilli (General Manager of DZ Engineering), Riccardo De Filippi (Head of Motorsport at Marelli), Dario Marrafuschi (Head of Motorsport at Pirelli), and Alexandros Miotto Haristos (Operations Director at Racing Force Group). Luis García Abad, Director of the F1 Spanish Grand Prix, also joined the discussions.
Enhancing the event were a photographic exhibition curated by the Dino Zoli Foundation and an exhibition area featuring symbolic Formula 1 items, including a replica of the Spanish Grand Prix trophy designed by Pininfarina and a racing suit produced by Racing Force Group.
