Paolo Barilla
Italian businessman and former Formula One driver
About Paolo Barilla
Born 1961. Paolo Barilla is an Italian entrepreneur, racing automobile driver and formula One driver.
Paolo Barilla (born 20 April 1961) is a businessman and winner of the 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans. A former Formula One driver who raced for the Minardi team, Barilla is now the Deputy Chairman of the Barilla Group and, as of January 2017, had a net worth of US$1.39 billion.
Racing career Barilla started racing in 1975 and won the Italian 100cc karting title the following year. He entered Formula Fiat Abarth in 1980 and the next year moved up to Formula 3, in which he won some races and finished third in the Italian Championship. He then entered Formula 2 in 1982 with Minardi, but between 1983 and 1988 he concentrated in sports car racing, winning 24 Hours of Le Mans by a three-lap margin in 1985, among other victories, in the Joest Racing Porsche 956, co-driven at various times with Klaus Ludwig, Paul Belmondo, Marc Duez and Louis Krages (also known at the time as John Winter).
In 1987, Barilla returned to single-seaters and raced in the Japanese Formula 3000 Championship, before returning to Minardi in 1989 for a test. This test gave him the chance to replace Pierluigi Martini at Suzuka that year and afterwards was signed to drive for the team in 1990. Barilla was not quick enough to qualify regularly and was replaced before the end of the year by Gianni Morbidelli.
In 2014, Barilla won the Monaco Historic Grand Prix in the Formula 3 class driving a Chevron B34.
Barilla was featured in a 2017 documentary about the restoration of a Ferrari 312B historic Formula 1 race car.
Business career In 1990, Barilla retired from racing and joined his family's businesses. Upon his return to the corporation, he briefly filled in as the CEO from 1999 to 2000 before taking a more permanent position as a Deputy Chairman.
In 2010, Barilla was appointed President of the Industrial Association AIDEPI (Associazione delle Industrie Dolciarie e Pastaie Italiane), established in the same year. From 2010 onwards, he held numerous membership positions until he was appointed, in 2014, Vice-president of the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition Foundation, a multidisciplinary and independent thinking center that works on food sustainability.
In 2016, Barilla was elected President of the International Pasta Organization (IPO), a non-profit association dedicated to increasing consumption and awareness of pasta, promoting consumer understanding of the nutritional value and health benefits of food.
From March 2017 to December 2018, Barilla was the Chairman of the Italian Food Association (Unione Italiana Food), and since 1 January 2019, he has taken on the role of Deputy Vice-Chairman, a position aligned with the commitments taken to protect the industry, both nationally and internationally.
Since July 2020, Barilla is a member of the Confindustria Executive Council (Consiglio Direttivo).
Racing record
Complete European Formula Two Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pts Minardi Team Minardi Fly 281 Ferrari SIL HOC THR NÜR VAL MUG PAU PER SPA NC 0 BMW DON MIS MAN Minardi Team Srl Minardi Fly 281B BMW SIL HOC THR NÜR MUG VAL PAU SPA HOC DON MAN PER MIS NC 0 Minardi Team Srl Minardi M283 BMW SIL THR HOC NÜR VAL PAU JAR DON MIS PER ZOL MUG NC 0
Complete International Formula 3000 results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)
Complete Japanese Formula 3000 Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 DC Pts 1989 PIAA Nakajima Racing Mugen Honda SUZ FUJ NIS SUZ SUG FUJ SUZ SUZ 11th 6
Complete Formula One results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pts Minardi Team SpA Minardi M189 Ford Cosworth DFR 3.5 V8 BRA SMR MON MEX USA CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR ESP JPN AUS NC 0 SCM Minardi Team Minardi M189 Ford Cosworth DFR 3.5 V8 USA BRA NC 0 Minardi M190 SMR MON CAN MEX FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR ESP JPN AUS
24 Hours of Le Mans results
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Important facts
People in Paolo Barilla's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
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Frequently asked questions
Who is Paolo Barilla?
Italian businessman and former Formula One driver
When was Paolo Barilla born?
Paolo Barilla was born on 20 April 1961 in Milan.
What is Paolo Barilla's occupation?
Paolo Barilla is an entrepreneur, racing automobile driver and formula One driver.
What nationality is Paolo Barilla?
Paolo Barilla is Italian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Paolo Barilla. https://biography.guide/paolo-barilla/
MLA: "Paolo Barilla." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/paolo-barilla/.
Chicago: "Paolo Barilla." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/paolo-barilla/.
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