PARIS: Tobacco giants Philip Morris and British American Tobacco have formed partnerships with their scientific research subsidiaries and Formula 1 teams Ferrari and McLaren more than a decade after cigarette advertising was banned from the sport.

US giant Philip Morris International (PMI), whose Marlboro brand was long associated with Ferrari, re-entered the sport last October, branding Ferrari cars with “Mission Winnow” and a logo that hints at the white-on-red triangles of the old Marlboro packs. “Mission Winnow is aimed at illustrating our commitment to constant development. This initiative shines a light on the new Philip Morris and our partners and our commitment and common desire to develop for the best,” the group’s communications director Tommaso di Giovanni explained. Since the Japan Grand Prix in October the Ferrari cars, drivers’ helmets, and outfits have featured the Mission Winnow logo of three white arrows.

Since 2006, Formula 1’s ruling body FIA has been firmly opposed to any advertising or sponsoring of cigarettes or tobacco. But with teams struggling to meet their budget requirements, the allure of advertising revenue from so-called “Big Tobacco” is clear to see. McLaren cars are to feature advertising for “A Better Tomorrow”, a British American Tobacco (BAT) scientific research subsidiary linked to less controversial electronic cigarettes. BAT also said it would carefully study the varying rules in different countries which govern tobacco branding. “We still need to determine which brand activations to implement in which countries, but we will, of course, respect regulatory environments,” their spokesman said.