The FIA, the world governing body of motor sport, confirmed today that tobacco advertising and sponsorship by cigarette makers will be banned from the end of the 2006 season.
The decision will have drastic financial implications for some of the leading teams in Formula One, many of whom have relied on tobacco conglomorates down the years.
At the moment, the West company are the main sponsors of McLaren-Mercedes, Marlboro finance Ferrari while Benson and Hedges help finance the Jordan team.
"Sponsorship by the tobacco industry of motor sport teams and events has occurred for over thirty years," a FIA policy statement said on the eve of the launch of the Tobacco Free Sports campaign which takes place in Geneva tomorrow.
"The precise value of such sponsorship is hard to estimate but probably exceeds 350 million US dollars per annum," added the statement.
The issue of tobacco sponsorship in motor racing has caused major controversy in recent years with some European nations insisting that all tobacco advertising be removed from cars taking part in races in their countries.
"The current ban on tobacco advertising in France, for example, limits the exposure of French television viewers to tobacco sponsorship by just a single event whereas the same French audience watches sixteen other races during the course of the year. Of these races only two run without tobacco logos."
"That is why it is necessary to establish an international agreement to control the impact of tobacco advertising and sponsorship."
AFP