A tough stance
The Reuters news agency has picked up the appeal of 162 anti-tobacco and pro-health groups, which sent a tough letter to the Formula One Group to demand the banning of sponsorship agreements of some teams with tobacco giants – commonly referred to as Big Tobacco.
The reason? The large youth audience – increasingly growing – of the category is at risk of addiction also due to the advertising messages conveyed by Formula 1.
The accusation against F1: “Don’t be accomplices”
The associations – led by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the American Lung Association – explain: “Sponsoring Formula 1 teams, tobacco companies seek to reach the young people that the category has won over. F1 must not be an accomplice.”
Ferrari and McLaren in the crosshairs
There are two teams on which the attention of anti-tobacco groups has focused, namely Ferrari for its partnership with Philip Morris International and McLaren for its collaboration with British American Tobacco.
The two tobacco giants sponsor two nicotine pouches, Zyn for PMI and Velo for BAT, with the brands present on the cars of the two top Formula 1 teams.
In response to this letter, Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco replied that their marketing campaigns are aimed at an adult audience.
According to an F1 press release referring to the 2025 season, there are nearly 4 million children between the ages of 8 and 12 who actively follow the sport. And the presence in recent years of brands like Disney, Lego and Hot Wheels is anything but coincidental.
Read more Aston Martin vibrations, Stroll: “I think it’s like getting shocks in the electric chair”
