Monza – September 08, 2026 -- Barilla hosted the first-ever "La Tavolata" dinner ahead of the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, seating more than 200 guests at a table stretching nearly 100 meters through the paddock.
The Thursday evening gathering brought together drivers, team principals, mechanics, engineers, strategists, safety and medical car drivers, personal trainers, and tire technicians -- the people whose coordination shapes every race weekend but who rarely share a meal together during it.
VCARB driver Yuki Tsunoda dined alongside his own race engineer
Among the attendees were VCARB driver Yuki Tsunoda and his Race Engineer, Alexandre Iliopoulos. Tsunoda said the evening showcased "all the people it takes to win on and off track," adding that teamwork rarely gets celebrated outside of race weekends.
Three-Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura curated the menu
The meal centered on Barilla pasta and was prepared in partnership with DO&CO, the Official Supplier to the F1 Paddock Club. Bottura said great performances, whether on a podium or in a Michelin kitchen, are never a solo effort, describing his own team as the "Francescana Family."
Former F1 champion Nico Rosberg reflected on trust built off-camera
Rosberg said some of the most important relationships in his racing career were built away from cameras, with engineers, mechanics and strategists who had to trust one another under pressure. He called the dinner a reminder that racing remains a team sport built on human connection.
Paolo Barilla, a former F1 driver himself, framed the dinner as tribute to the paddock's hidden workforce
Paolo Barilla, Vice Chairman of Barilla Group and a former Formula 1 driver, said every lap and every result depends on the people surrounding a driver. He noted that while cars and technology have changed dramatically since his racing days, the reliance on trust and collaboration behind the scenes has not.