More than 160 organizations are calling on Formula 1 to end tobacco and nicotine sponsorships
On March 4th, more than 160 civil society organizations from around the world sent a letter to Formula 1 urging it to update its ban on tobacco sponsorships to include nicotine pouches and to stop facilitating the promotion of addictive products to its millions of young fans. We also urged other F1 sponsors—Disney, Lego, and Hot Wheels—to demand action.
The Formula 1 ban on cigarette sponsorship ended in 2006. However, tobacco companies Philip Morris International (PMI) and British American Tobacco (BAT) are currently promoting nicotine pouches—one of their newest products—through Formula 1 team sponsorships. PMI sponsors the Ferrari team to promote its product Zyn, while BAT sponsors the McLaren team with its Velo brand. The logos appear prominently on the cars and on the racing suits of their star drivers, including 2025 world champion Lando Norris and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. These sponsorships are also widely promoted on social media to hundreds of millions of followers.
At the same time, Formula 1 has actively worked to expand its global youth audience, including recent partnerships with Disney, Lego, and Mattel’s Hot Wheels. These collaborations include the presence of Mickey Mouse and friends at F1 races, as well as exclusive Lego and Hot Wheels products aimed at children. According to Formula 1 itself, more than 4 million children aged 8 to 12 follow the sport in the European Union and the United States, while 54% of its TikTok followers and 40% of its Instagram followers are under 25.
“By sponsoring Formula 1 teams, tobacco companies are attempting to reach the same young audiences that F1 has sought to attract. Formula 1 must not be complicit in this strategy. To protect the health of its young fans, it is essential that F1 update its ban on cigarette sponsorships to include other tobacco and nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches,” states the letter addressed to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
In separate letters, the organizations also urged the chief executives of Disney, Lego, and Mattel to join the call for Formula 1 to ban all forms of tobacco- and nicotine-related sponsorship.
“Tobacco companies seek to associate their brands with Formula 1 and its most recognizable drivers because they know that children and adolescents will see them,” said Yolonda C. Richardson, President and CEO of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “Promoting tobacco and nicotine products in the same spaces where Disney, Lego, and Hot Wheels are present is part of the industry’s ongoing strategy to attract new generations, while claiming that their products are only for adults. F1 must protect children and immediately end any ties with the tobacco industry, ensuring that it does not become a platform for promoting harmful and addictive products.”
Nicotine pouches pose significant health risks for younger generations. These products expose young people to high levels of nicotine, a highly addictive substance that can affect brain development—which continues until around age 25—and increase vulnerability to other addictions. In the United States, nicotine pouches are the only tobacco product whose youth use has increased in recent years.
The letter addressed to Formula 1 was signed by 162 organizations from 57 countries.
Contact
Maga Ailén Merlo Vijarra, magamerlov@fundeps.org
