Ferrari looking good, says Pirelli's Mario Isola

The man who supplies the tyres to Formula 1 believes that Ferrari is well set-up for a return to success this season.

Mario Isola, who took over from Paul Hembery as Pirelli's prominent figure in the F1 paddock, says the Scuderia has done a good job integrating the new regulations and exploiting the new wider tyres.

"I don't know that, but it is clear to me that Ferrari is in good shape," he said.

"Even if it is normal that we don't see everything in the tests, I do believe that we have recognised in Barcelona the people that are strong.

"Personally, I would like to see a more complex fight for the world championship, and not just with Ferrari but also Red Bull and even an outsider like Williams."

• Briatore unimpressed with Ferrari pre-season form

Speaking to Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport, Isola enthused about the general performance of the new-spec cars.

"Last year, the cars were reaching forces of 4G, but now we're measuring figures at about 6G, so we can say that the new racing cars are nearly fighter planes.

"I am sure the drivers will be tired at the end of the race which could lead to errors and opportunities for opponents to mount an attack."

Isola also admitted however that the greater downforce and mechanical grip could also make overtaking more difficult, an opinion voiced recently by many drivers during pre-season testing.

"We have more durable tyres and more downforce, so we will see less tyre changes and the drivers will find it harder to follow a rival closely.

"But I want to emphasise the positive aspect," he insisted.

"We will experience less overtaking moves, but the fans will feel that these overtaking moves will be more real."

GALLERY: F1 drivers' wives and girlfriends

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter