Although FIA has banned the sponsorship of tobacco brands since 2007, it seems that tobbaco industry has found indirect ways to continue its ties with racing. Ferrari is reportedly ready to sign a new Marlboro sponsorship deal until 2014 with tobacco company Philip Morris. Marlboro has been Ferrari's title sponsor since 1997, but its latest agreement is set to expire at the end of 2011. The current deal does not involve any branding on the car - as tobacco sponsorship was banned in 2007 - and even the controversial barcode, which was seen as subliminal advertising, disappeared from the car's engine cover last year.
A Ferrari spokesman commented: "The current agreement will expire at the end of this year. There is not yet any agreement for the next years but there are all the conditions to sign a new one."
Moreover, it is believed that Renault will not be allowed to run its new black and gold Lotus livery at the Canadian Grand Prix as it could cause the infringement of Canada's strict anti-tobacco laws because it can be seen as a subliminal advertising of the nostalgic John Player Special-sponsored Lotuses of the 1970s and 1980s.
Although the JPS brand has no ties with the team, Canada's Tobacco Act states that "no person shall promote a tobacco product by means of an advertisement that depicts, in whole or in part, a tobacco product, its package or a brand element of one or that evokes a tobacco product or a brand element."
A spokesperson for Health Canada would not comment directly on the Lotus example, but told the Toronto Globe and Mail: "Tobacco inspectors would need to fully review to assess whether a violation of the Tobacco Act has occurred. The Tobacco Act prohibits the promotion of tobacco products or tobacco product-related brand elements in Canada, except as authorized by the Act or regulations. Tobacco product sponsorship is prohibited entirely and tobacco advertising is severely restricted."
The JPS brand is owned by Imperial Tobacco in Canada and a spokesman for the company commented: "It is categorically against the law to present any likeness to a cigarette pack. If I were Lotus though, I would be concerned -- I wonder if they are aware of the law in Canada."
However, as recently as 2003 tobacco sponsorship appeared in full on F1 cars at the Canadian Grand Prix despite the Tobacco Act existing in law since 1997. In 2006 BAR's cars appeared in Lucky Strike colours - if not sponsorship.
The ban of Tobacco advertising caused great sponsorship loses for the F1 teams, and as a major example of a team that changed completely its livery due to the ban is the 2007 Earth Dream Honda car that substituted its Lucky Strike advertising with an ecological livery.
