Felipe Massa, from lawsuit for 2008 F1 title to cuisine: ex-Ferrari driver manages two restaurants
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The controversial lawsuit
In recent times, former Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa has made headlines again due to his controversial lawsuit aimed at having the 2008 title reassigned. That championship, won by Lewis Hamilton over him by just one point, was, according to the former Ferrari driver, compromised by the infamous Crashgate in Singapore. While the legal battle continues behind the scenes, Felipe Massa has been focusing on two of his other great passions in recent months: cuisine and entrepreneurship. He has decided to merge these fields, and it is no coincidence that he has become the owner of two luxury restaurants in his hometown, São Paulo.
A new life
The first, opened in 2020, is Beefbar, a restaurant originally from Monte Carlo that was 'exported' to São Paulo. As the name suggests, it is a steakhouse. The second addition is much more recent, dating back to 2024: in April, Felipe Massa opened the Brazilian branch of another Monaco-based restaurant, Song Qi, also in São Paulo. It is a luxury restaurant focused on Chinese cuisine. “This is the most popular Chinese restaurant in Monaco, I know it very well,” Massa stated in an interview with Forbes shortly before the opening. “I have always thought that São Paulo lacked a high-end Chinese restaurant, and this will be something very different from what we are used to seeing here.”
In pursuit of excellence
During the Brazilian GP weekend this year, several key figures from the paddock visited Felipe at his new 'culinary home,' including Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, who is managed by Nicolas Todt, the same person who previously handled Felipe Massa’s interests. “Running a luxury restaurant is like working in a Formula 1 team. Everything must be of the highest quality: the products, but also the people. Just like in Formula 1, it's all about details. If one cog fails, everything can go wrong,” the former Ferrari and Williams driver stated in an interview with the Dutch website Formule1.nl. For now, however, the results seem promising: Song Qi is among the best-reviewed restaurants in the city on Google, with a rating of 4.5/5.
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