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Ferrari and Marlboro created arguably the most memorable racing liveries in the 2000s and signaled an end to active cigarette advertisements in Formula One. Since tobacco promotion in motorsport was ultimately banned in 2006, the two have carried on as partners, though no ad-space was taken up on Ferrari’s cars. Now, the Maranello team has renewed its contract with Marlboro parent company Philip Morris International to continue on after its two-year contract expires at the end of 2017.
Marlboro entered the sport of Formula One in 1973 with the BRM team, and has continued on to partner with the likes of McLaren in the ’80s as well as becoming Ferrari’s title sponsor in 1997. Though direct advertisements for the brand must be excluded from the car, Ferrari still uses a subliminal hat tip to Marlboro as the Scuderia logo roughly resembles that of the cigarette company’s red and white trademark. The team’s former use of a barcode to represent PMI’s sub-brand was banned after the 2010 season, but the partnership still continues.
The relationship between the two mega-brands remains as one of the last reminders of an age where racing sponsorship was dominated by tobacco and alcohol companies. Famous liveries that featured Camel, Lucky Strike, and Winston were featured throughout the motorsport community from F1 to Nascar, but Marlboro is the one that most racing fans remember.
It was assumed that the sponsorship would continue even after the existing contract expired as former Philip Morris marketer Maurizio Arrivabene currently sits as Ferrari’s team principal.
Ferrari released a statement on the freshly inked contract, saying “The agreement continues the collaboration of over 40 years between Philip Morris International and Scuderia Ferrari.”
