Pirelli have been a fundamental part of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship for decades, and, as part of the Women Shifting Gears series, Gea Prioglio, R&D Materials Specialist in the Moto Racing Compound Development has spoken about her journey into the paddock, finding a passion for building and creating and more.
“DOING SOMETHING YOU ENJOY IS HALF THE BATTLE”
Discussing her passion to be creative and building things from a young age, Prioglio said: “I'm a very curious person. My parents taught me to be open to anything. Already as a little girl, I would play with paper, building, creating. I’ve always been creative, and technical too. When it came to choosing a degree, I had different ideas in mind: telecommunication engineering, chemical engineering, maybe also physical engineering. I was open to many different things. In the end, I went with materials engineering and nanotechnology engineering because it would give me the opportunity to really study each material and understand its properties. Materials engineering is also a lot of chemistry, how the atoms bond to create a material, and how the properties of a material derive from its structure. This is something I have always found fascinating.”
FROM MOLECULES TO MANUFACTURING…
On her education, which helps her within her role at Pirelli, she added: “I studied rubber compounds as part of my university course. A tyre might look like nothing more than a black, spherical object, but I was able to understand its true complexity: the molecules that build the material, the materials that build the compound. I wanted to know more. So, I found a professor who was collaborating with Pirelli and embarked on a master’s thesis focusing on rubber compounds, graphene and nanographene. Pirelli had me in their labs and I really liked that because I could really work on the materials and be very hands-on.
“I enjoyed being able to put something of myself into what I was doing, so I continued with a doctoral program, again in collaboration with Pirelli, which gave me time to develop my specialist knowledge. Afterwards, an opportunity arose at Pirelli, in the raw materials group, developing chemicals, a role involving a lot of science and R&D. I was fortunate to secure the role and join a very positive, supportive team. Working in an industrial environment, I learned a great deal and was able to see how processes are scaled from laboratory to industrial production. It requires a lot of work, but I found it fascinating.”
…AND FROM CONCEPT TO COMPETITION
Then, her education became her job, all from a chance visit to Misano: “In 2025 I attended the Misano WorldSBK round, not to work, but simply because some tickets became available. I hadn’t been to a race before and wasn’t a huge motorcycling enthusiast, but I can say that I’m fascinated by the sensations, the speed, and I was interested to see the materials I was developing perform on track. I really enjoyed that weekend and, as luck would have it, a trackside role was up for grabs inside Pirelli. I approached my boss and expressed my interest, he thought I’d be a good fit, and that was that! I officially started in the role of “R&D Materials Specialist - Moto Racing Compound Development” in March 2026, but I attended the Phillip Island round in February this year.
“That first work trip was a big one. Travelling to the other side of the world! Right up to the day before, I was doing development and then I was put on a plane. But I was ready. And once I got to the track, I thought, “Yes, this is the place for me". I knew the environment would motivate me. Seeing the compounds on track and understanding how they're working, then going back and knowing where you need to go with development. I don’t attend every round; I have approximately 80 days of travel planned this year. I’m still learning of course, but I’m lucky to have a very experienced team behind me. From the feedback of all the racing teams, we build up a general framework of what's happening on track. And then we go back and work with the product team to develop something that matches the needs. It's a continuous process, and everything moves fast. I really like that aspect.”
CURIOSITY, HUMILITY, DETERMINATION
Discussing the importance of being confident but also ready to listen so learn, especially in a new environment, she said: “When you leave university, you have a degree but no experience. At Pirelli, in a professional environment, I realised I was the newcomer. So, you must be confident but ready to listen, to observe, and not presume that you know what's happening. I'm also very determined to understand, so I ask many questions. But it’s important to remain open to being wrong. Humble but questioning, let’s say. Wherever I am, I always try to be myself. I always try to be positive too; I think that’s one of my strengths. And in trying to follow my passions, I tend to like what I do. I think doing something you enjoy is half the battle. You are more likely to achieve your goals. And if an exam or project doesn’t go well, you need to be strong, try again, and never give up.
“A lot of women studied chemical and materials engineering subjects alongside me. No one’s ever said, “You're a woman, you can't do this”. And anyway, I'm always determined to reach my targets. I’m well accepted at Pirelli, a company that is committed to equality. In the materials department, the male to female ratio is around 50-50. It’s great. You feel that anything is possible, and this is something I would like young women to believe, that if they like something, they can do it, they can achieve it.”
TRUST THE PATH AHEAD
On the advice she’d give her younger self, Prioglio stated: “If I could give my younger self some advice, I would tell her to have more confidence that things will work out. When you’re younger, you are still in the process of building yourself, and it’s natural to worry about whether you will find a job. But you will. If you are determined and willing to work hard - because nothing comes for free - then you will find a way. It’s also important to accept that you may not reach your goal immediately; instead, you might start from something close to it and gradually move towards where you ultimately want to be. In this technical world, we will always have a lot of challenges ahead. I'm ready for everything and excited for all the challenges. As for me personally, I want to keep growing. In the future, I would like to have a team. That's something I have always said since the beginning of my career, I always think of myself moving forward and having more responsibilities in the future, when I'm ready, but I don't see a limit!”
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