Attorneys general from 19 states and jurisdictions in the U.S. “voiced concerns to Formula One and the FIA over tobacco industry sponsorship in the sport,” according to Madeline Coleman of THE ATHLETIC. The criticism was “detailed in a letter” to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem on Monday. McLaren and Ferrari “were CC’ed at the bottom of the letter,” as both teams have tobacco-related sponsors. Traditional cigarette advertising was officially banned in F1 from the end of the 2006 season. But the attorneys general are “calling for the ‘existing policy prohibiting cigarette sponsorships’ to be expanded and also ‘prohibit sponsorship involving all tobacco and nicotine products, including nicotine pouches, and to terminate all current sponsorships involving these products.’” Public health entities have “called on F1 about this matter before,” but these partnerships are still allowed and so Ferrari and McLaren are still permitted to partner with Zyn and Velo respectively (THE ATHLETIC, 6/9).
