The first in our 12-day festive countdown feature looks at how pasta brand Barilla served up a memorable arrival as an Official Partner of Formula 1.
Few brands could launch their first F1 activation by placing a full dining table on the start-finish straight in Bahrain – but then again, few brands have Paolo Barilla, a former F1 driver, on board.
Barilla’s debut as Formula 1’s first ever Official Pasta Partner was one of the most talked-about off-track moments of the 2025 opener, blending Italian heritage, culinary theatre and a nod to the company’s own racing past.
It set the tone for a partnership built around shared values of precision, performance and the simple act of bringing people together around a plate of food.
The centrepiece of the weekend was a restaurant-style media lunch hosted by 2016 F1 champion Nico Rosberg and cooked by Massimo Bottura – the three-Michelin-starred maestro behind Osteria Francescana and one of the world’s most influential chefs.
Bottura swapped Modena for the Bahrain paddock for a single afternoon, serving Barilla dishes to media, celebrities and VIP guests in a fully branded hospitality experience. For a debut activation, it was about as high-octane as pasta gets.
“A lightning-fast F1 car and a delicious plate of pasta: what do they have in common?” asked Paolo Barilla, former Minardi driver, Le Mans 24 Hours winner and Barilla Vice President.
“At first, it may not be obvious, but behind both, and the effort that goes into making them, are skilled professionals, passionate and determined, driven by the desire to keep improving. Our greatest satisfaction is being able to offer all the men and women of F1, after an intense competition, a well-deserved plate of pasta.”
For Barilla, it marked the start of a long-term programme designed to place food – and the culture around it – at the centre of fan experiences. The brand has already signalled its intent to activate at key races with creative, culinary-led moments that turn race weekends into shared social occasions, all built on that initial activation in Bahrain, executed by sports marketing experts, Nkrush.
“Over the next years, we look forward to welcoming all F1 fans to the table every race weekend,” said Barilla’s Chief Category & Marketing Officer, Ilaria Lodigiani.
“This partnership is an invitation to celebrate the moments that matter together… Barilla and Formula 1 unite people beyond sport and cuisine.”
With precision, craftsmanship and relentless improvement central to both pasta and motorsport, Barilla’s opening lap in F1 was appropriately theatrical – and delicious. Expect more creative, fan-focused activations in 2025, mixing warmth, heritage and Michelin-grade spectacle
