Leo Isolani: “In Switzerland, we do give importance to work”
The driver from Ancona, former world champion of hillclimbs with the Ferrari brand, talks about himself, about “his” new country and about what he does today
In Lugano, the gateway to the Ticino Pre-Alps, there is someone who has made of… the mountains, and in particular of the Hill Climb, not only a reason for living, but also the platform of a long, long theory of competitive, personal and team successes.
The pearl of Ceresio is in fact the last landing place of Leonardo “Leo” Isolani, born in 1957, originally from Ancona, “professional driver since 1988 and talent scout since 2000”, as he likes to define himself publicly, to whom the whole motorsport environment recognizes an exceptional merit: not only to have imposed himself in the hill-climbs, but also to have guessed in his career such effective communication strategies as to guarantee great visibility to the chosen specialty, arrived in time after Karting in 1985 and Rally with the means of the most disparate car manufacturers: Fiat, Seat, Opel, Renault, Ford, Lancia, Subaru and Mitsubishi.
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Sports and safe driving instructor, testimonial for national and international brands, test driver and tester, discoverer of young talents, organizer of events in Italy and abroad, “cab driver” for VIPs and personalities of all kinds, already owner in Castelfidardo between 2004 and 2012 of the Isolani Racing Team (official Ferrari team in the Italian Mountain Speed Championship and in the analogous European Championship), finalist of the Trofeo Maserati in Rio de Janeiro, today general manager of the Ticino advertising agency LMG Racing Team, Leonardo Isolani has frightening numbers that deserve to be put on paper.
Here they are: 139 victories, 263 placings on the podium, 16 CSAI Cups or Trophies, four European Gran Turismo Class titles and, last but not least, in 2011 the crown of the Italian GT Championship of the CIVM, all results achieved in the vast majority of cases at the wheel of the Prancing Horse cars from Maranello: F355 Challenge, 360 Modena Challenge, 360 N-GT and 575 GTC.
A new ambassador in sport and member of the “Swiss Federalism” association, he is the right man to talk to about Switzerland.
From a champion of hillclimbs in Italy and Europe to a sports ambassador for the “Swiss Federalism” association. What brought you to Switzerland and what are you currently doing in Lugano?
“First of all, I would like to thank Swiss Federalism, its president Dr. Andrea Schenone, for the position given to me and the trust they have placed in me. I’m really proud to be able to be the ambassador for sport of the assocoation and I’m looking forward to implement with them several ideas that could be innovative for the world of sport. This is also because innovation is kind of what distinguishes my work. I deal with advertising in the sports field and I always try to present something new and unique to the public and to my clients. That’s why I chose to work in Switzerland, as it is a country that values innovation and technology. I’m currently working as Director at LMG Racing Lab, an advertising agency specialized in the sport sector based in Lugano; we are working on new projects, with the collaboration of some investors, in different motorsport realities and in an international dimension, with the support of important car brands“.
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Leo Isolani with the “uniform” of Swiss Federalism’s sports ambassador
You have just returned from a similar entrepreneurial adventure in the Canary Islands, and therefore also abroad. How did it go and what experiences did you gain from your previous activity in Spain?
“As far as my experience in Spain is concerned, I can say that I was called by some entrepreneurs to deal with a rather important project that, however, for various reasons, was never realized; for this reason, I can say that I learned a lot from this defeat. Such an experience has taught me to better evaluate people and projects and, at the same time, to always believe in my ideas”.
Motorsport is a fascinating discipline, even though it is almost forbidden in the Swiss Confederation, and all this despite the presence of a historic Formula 1 team like Sauber. We take advantage of your experience in the field to ask you how motorsport will evolve over the next few years, what mistakes should be avoided and what opportunities should be seized, according to you…
“Motor racing is historically one of the sectors most interested in innovation, it is certainly interesting to see how new technologies are applied in motorsport; what I feel like saying is that this sport has always given the public adrenaline and entertainment, so I think we need to find the right balance between technology and entertainment”.
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What do you like about Switzerland, and why? And what, if anything, do you not like? Can you make comparisons with other countries or realities you know?
“I certainly appreciate Switzerland for the value and importance it gives to the work, the professionalism and the preparation of many motorsport experts. I also appreciate the precision in the work and the correctness in the recognition of a possible mistake, something that I have unfortunately noticed missing in other countries.
Popular also in Switzerland, Hill Climb racing is the discipline in which you chose to engage since your youth. What made you decide to approach what is perhaps the most dangerous specialty in motorsport? How would you describe, how would you sum up your many years of “racing” along the slopes?
“Let’s say that my passion for motorsport started with rallies; the adrenaline, the purity and the difficulty of this discipline made me specialize in rallies. The passage to the Uphill Speed was almost an automatic consequence of my adventure in rallies. I fell in love with it, I found my dimension and I tried to give my all in this sector of motorsport. However, I felt the need to bring something new to the reality of uphill racing, to create a spectacle for the large audience that followed us”.
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Observers remember your extraordinary visibility at the time of the hillclimbs. Can you tell us something more about your (effective) communication strategies of the time? Did he have “a secret,” so to speak?
“Quite simply, I tried to put myself in the shoes of the spectator, the fan, but also the sponsor, and I tried to understand what I wanted to see if I were in an hillclimb paddock and I thought only of one thing: entertainment. Entertainment is a very basic and simple concept, but it is certainly impressive. Of course, times have changed and so have communication strategies, but I still believe that the aim should be to entertain and give a show, simply by changing the ways to do it. Ours has been a team of reference in the Chronos, both for the investors, but also for the public and the sportsmen themselves; in fact it has been awarded by the FIA and ACI Sport as ‘Best Team’. I’m really proud to have been able to make the difference, combining the prestige of the Ferrari brand with the many sponsors who have believed in our communication strategies”.
How was and how is your relationship with Ferrari, considered the most valuable brand in the world for several years in a row? According to your sensibility, what is the Sport Management lacking to become unbeatable in Grand Prix? Do you like Carlos Sainz junior and Charles Leclerc?
“When I decided to dedicate myself completely to Hill Climb racing, I only thought of one name: Ferrari. Ferrari immediately agreed with my project, they believed in me and in my ideas and have continued to do so over the years and for this I will always be grateful. I believe that Ferrari is always a great team, that has decided to invest and believe in two young and talented drivers like Carlos Sainz junior and Charles Leclerc; for my part, I can only agree with this choice and I really hope that they will be able to express themselves at their best and show everyone what they are capable of”.
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Do you miss Italy or the Marches? Regardless of the answer, whether positive or negative, could you articulate the economic, political and social motivations that support your judgment?
“Italy is my home and in Le Marche I have family and affections that I cherish, but I needed new stimuli in my work and I felt I no longer had any in my region of origin; I felt the need to change reality and to find an environment and people who could fully understand my projects and who could help me in their realization”.
What are your biggest regrets and regrets? Is there anything you have regretted doing or conversely not doing, in life as well as in your racing career, and why?
“I guess everyone has regrets in life and I am no exception; unfortunately, I realized that I have, at times, placed trust in the wrong people. I was not able to evaluate them objectively and only time could reveal their true nature. As far as my career as a driver is concerned, I regret not having been able to win an Italian Championship, which I would say was rather hard fought, by a few seconds…”.
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At sixty-one years old, you reveal an extraordinary propensity for maintaining physical fitness and occupying social networks with youthful content. Do you feel a bit like a new Peter Pan or is there something more? Who really “is” Leo Isolani and how would you describe yourself, including your character, to someone who doesn’t already know you?
“I firmly believe that taking care of one’s body is also essential for psychological well-being. I feel good about myself, and I’ve probably never been this fit, not even when I was younger; I regret that I didn’t start taking care of my fitness a while ago. I use social media for different reasons, to try to convey and make others understand my passion for motorsport, for taking care of my body and, why not, also to make people smile. I consider myself a positive person, a dreamer, a hard worker and a dad who always tries to give his best in everything he does”.
