How the first F1 chef brought rivals together with food

Luigi 'Pasticcino' Montanini, F1's inaugural paddock chef, appointed by Enzo Ferrari in the late 1970s, fondly recalls how his cooking fostered camaraderie among rivals. He famously used simple pasta dishes to unite competitors like Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, emphasizing food's power to create a "family feeling" in the paddock. Pasticcino, who cooked for Ferrari and Benetton teams across 500 Grands Prix, also catered to royalty and celebrities. Despite the modern paddock's significant evolution, he maintains that the special connection forged through food remains a timeless and vital element of Formula 1.