Mikaela Shiffrin is along for the ride as Barilla enhances its Formula One engagement.

The weekend of the Formula One Miami Grand Prix delivered plenty of drama and excitement on the racetrack, but some of the most notable developments actually happened away from the circuit. Before the engines roared into life and the race weekend truly began, one of Italy’s most recognisable food brands made a major statement about its growing ambitions in global sport.

On the Thursday evening before the Miami Grand Prix officially got underway, Barilla hosted a special gathering in Miami that reflected the company’s long-standing focus on family, connection and shared experiences. The Italian pasta giant welcomed relatives of drivers and crew members from the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls team, alongside members of the media, for a relaxed evening centred around food and conversation.

With Formula One operating on a demanding worldwide calendar that requires constant travel across continents, drivers, engineers and team personnel often spend long periods separated from loved ones. The demanding nature of the sport means meaningful family time can become increasingly rare throughout the season.

Barilla aimed to create an atmosphere inspired by traditional Italian Sunday dinners, where food becomes a way of bringing people together regardless of busy schedules or professional pressures. The gathering took place at Torno Subito in Miami and featured an array of dishes, including the increasingly famous Barilla racing wheels pasta that has become associated with the company’s motorsport connections.

Mikaela Shiffrin eats pasta and makes an appearance at the Barilla F1 event at Torno Subito. Image courtesy of Barilla

Among the invited guests was someone who immediately caught attention despite not being directly involved in Formula One competition itself. American skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin attended the event and naturally stood out among the F1 figures and racing personalities gathered for the evening.

Although Shiffrin is not a racing driver and has no involvement behind the wheel of an open-wheel race car, her relationship with Barilla has become so strong over the years that her presence at the event felt entirely natural.

The partnership between the Olympic skiing legend and Barilla has existed for most of her professional athletic career and has evolved alongside both her success and the company’s increasing involvement in international sports sponsorships.

Barilla’s Expanding Formula One Presence

Barilla’s relationship with Formula One has grown significantly in recent years.

In 2025, the company officially became the designated pasta partner of Formula One, strengthening its visibility in one of the world’s most globally recognised sporting competitions.

Now, the Italian brand has taken another major step by expanding its role through a partnership with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls team.

The collaboration brings together two iconic Italian-associated brands and continues Barilla’s broader strategy of building its image through elite-level sport, shared experiences and global audiences.

For Shiffrin, watching Barilla’s expansion into new sporting areas has happened in parallel with much of her own career journey.

She explained that one of the most impressive things about the company has been its ability to continually evolve while remaining grounded in the same core values that originally attracted her to the partnership.

Speaking with Athlon Sports during the Miami Grand Prix weekend, Shiffrin reflected on how Barilla has consistently introduced new projects, partnerships and ideas over the years while maintaining a clear identity built around family and togetherness.

According to the skiing icon, every new development from Barilla still appears to revolve around bringing people together through food, conversation and shared moments.

She noted how the company continues to focus heavily on themes connected to family traditions and creating meaningful experiences around meals, particularly through the universal appeal of pasta and Italian cuisine.

For Shiffrin, those values have remained central to the partnership throughout her career.

A Genuine Passion For Formula One

Shiffrin’s connection to Formula One goes beyond simply appearing at a sponsor-related event.

Long before Barilla deepened its relationship with the sport, Shiffrin was already an enthusiastic fan of Formula One and enjoyed watching the competition independently.

Now, because of Barilla’s growing involvement in F1, that interest has evolved into something much more personal and interactive.

The six-time overall World Cup champion explained that she is fascinated by observing how elite athletes and teams from completely different sports perform under immense pressure.

While alpine skiing and Formula One are obviously very different disciplines in terms of equipment, environment and technical demands, Shiffrin believes there are still many shared elements connecting the mentality and preparation required to succeed at the highest level.

She said she enjoys studying how top athletes, coaches and teams function during the biggest moments because many of the psychological demands remain similar regardless of the sport involved.

According to Shiffrin, there are universal aspects of elite competition that connect disciplines as different as ski racing and Formula One.

The need to remain calm under pressure, execute technical skills precisely and consistently perform in high-stakes situations creates similarities between sports even when the physical environments appear completely unrelated.

Similarities Between Ski Racing And Formula One

One of the most interesting areas Shiffrin discussed involved the physical and technical comparisons between alpine skiing and Formula One racing.

At first glance, skiing down a mountain and driving an F1 car around a circuit might appear to have little in common. However, Shiffrin explained that many of the underlying principles of speed and movement are actually surprisingly similar.

She pointed out that in skiing, athletes do not rely on engines or horsepower. Instead, gravity acts as the driving force behind the sport.

Despite that difference, the physics involved in taking fast turns at high speed closely resemble what Formula One drivers experience on the track.

According to Shiffrin, successfully hitting the apex of a turn is critically important in both sports because it directly influences the speed and momentum carried into the next section of the course or circuit.

She explained that the ability to execute one turn properly impacts everything that follows, whether on snow or asphalt.

In Formula One, drivers frequently discuss the importance of apexes and how maintaining the ideal racing line allows them to maximise speed throughout a lap.

Shiffrin believes alpine skiing works in much the same way.

She also highlighted the intense physical forces involved in ski racing.

The Olympic champion revealed that skiers regularly experience forces reaching around 4G during turns on the mountain.

When she considers the sustained forces Formula One drivers endure throughout races, she finds the comparison especially fascinating because of the similarities in how the body reacts under extreme pressure.

The constant physical strain, combined with the need for absolute precision at incredible speeds, creates a strong connection between the two sports from her perspective.

The Mental Demands Of Elite Competition

Beyond the technical and physical similarities, Shiffrin also emphasised the emotional and mental challenges shared by athletes competing at the highest level.

She explained that dedicating an entire life to mastering a single discipline places enormous pressure on athletes regardless of their sport.

Whether competing on snowy mountains or racing around world-famous circuits, maintaining elite performance year after year requires relentless focus, sacrifice and resilience.

The physical toll can be exhausting, but the psychological demands are equally difficult.

Remaining motivated, dealing with public scrutiny and handling expectations become major parts of life for athletes competing at the very top.

For Shiffrin, those challenges are universal across elite sport.

Arvid Lindblad Impresses Shiffrin

Arvid Lindblad smiles for the camera during the Barilla, VCARB dinner at Torno Subito. Image courtesy of Barilla

One young driver who particularly caught Shiffrin’s attention during the Miami Grand Prix weekend was rookie Visa Cash App Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad.

The 18-year-old is currently navigating his first season in Formula One and has already attracted significant attention due to both his talent and the pressure surrounding his early career.

Shiffrin admitted she is especially interested in following Lindblad’s development because she can relate to the experience of entering elite-level competition at a very young age.

She briefly met the rookie driver during the Barilla event and came away impressed by his personality and attitude.

According to Shiffrin, Lindblad appeared calm, self-aware and level-headed despite the enormous demands currently surrounding him.

She explained that while it can be difficult to truly understand someone’s mindset during busy public events, she was struck by the maturity he displayed during their interaction.

Shiffrin suggested that Lindblad’s self-awareness and composed nature could become important strengths as he develops further within Formula One.

She believes those characteristics provide strong foundations for future success in such a demanding environment.

Comparing Teenage Careers

Because Shiffrin herself became successful as a teenager, she was asked to compare her own early experiences in skiing with what young Formula One drivers like Lindblad face today.

The American star acknowledged there are similarities but also major differences between the two situations.

When Shiffrin emerged in alpine skiing, she gradually grew into public attention over time.

Although she became famous at a young age, the spotlight increased progressively rather than arriving all at once.

That slower progression allowed her to adapt more comfortably to media attention and public expectations.

She described the process as developing in manageable stages, which helped her adjust emotionally and professionally without becoming overwhelmed too quickly.

By contrast, Shiffrin believes rookie Formula One drivers are thrown immediately into one of the world’s most heavily scrutinised sporting environments.

Unlike alpine skiing, Formula One carries enormous global popularity and constant media coverage.

As soon as young drivers enter the sport, they suddenly face attention from international media, fans, sponsors and social media platforms all at once.

According to Shiffrin, the transition must be incredibly difficult because the focus quickly expands far beyond simply competing on the track.

Drivers must learn to balance racing with interviews, appearances, branding responsibilities and public pressure almost instantly.

She admitted she cannot fully imagine how intense that experience must feel because her own path into global recognition happened much more gradually.

Shiffrin said she finds it fascinating to observe how Formula One rookies adapt and survive within such a demanding environment.

In many ways, she believes it becomes a “sink or swim” situation where young athletes must quickly figure out how to manage overwhelming attention and expectations.

She also noted that the support systems available may not always be enough to help young drivers navigate such intense circumstances.

That is one reason she remains interested in watching Lindblad’s development throughout the season.

Shiffrin Continues Growing With Barilla

As Barilla continues expanding its presence across the sporting world, Shiffrin appears likely to remain closely connected to the company’s future projects and partnerships.

The relationship between the skiing legend and the Italian food brand has become one of the most recognisable long-term athlete partnerships in international sport.

Now, with Barilla establishing a stronger foothold in Formula One through its collaboration with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls team, Shiffrin finds herself connected to a completely new sporting environment while still remaining true to the values that originally attracted her to the brand.

Whether discussing family dinners, elite competition, technical racing details or the pressures faced by young athletes, Shiffrin’s appearance during the Miami Grand Prix weekend demonstrated just how naturally her partnership with Barilla continues to evolve.

And as Formula One’s global popularity continues growing, there is every chance that wherever Barilla expands next, Mikaela Shiffrin will not be far behind.