F1 Team Quits Tobacco Habit
Formula one took a step towards stubbing out a 40-year addiction to tobacco yesterday when leading racing team BMW Williams signed a multimillion-pound sponsorship deal with stop-smoking aid NiQuitin CQ. The move came as British American Tobacco hinted it might sell its majority share of...
Formula one took a step towards stubbing out a 40-year addiction to tobacco yesterday when leading racing team BMW Williams signed a multimillion-pound sponsorship deal with stop-smoking aid NiQuitin CQ.
The move came as British American Tobacco hinted it might sell its majority share of British American Racing (BAR) because it will not be able to sponsor cars after 2006.
The Williams team used to be a big recipient of cigarette sponsorship, but founder Sir Frank Williams said he was "delighted and proud" to be working with NiQuitin and its owner, GlaxoSmithKline.
The deal was hailed by anti-smoking groups as a huge step forward. "This puts paid to the formula one myth that the sport would not survive without tobacco advertising," said Amanda Sandford of the Ac tion on Smoking and Health. Sir Paul Nash of Cancer Research UK said the deal would be welcomed by everyone involved in the treatment of smoking-related diseases. It should help to dispel the myth that smoking is glamorous.
Tobacco advertising has long been controversial in Britain. The first scandal of the Blair government came when it appeared to do a u-turn on banning tobacco advertising after the Labour party received a £1m donation from formula one chief Bernie Ecclestone. The money was later returned.
Trackside tobacco advertising has been banned in Britain since 1999 with sponsorship to follow in 2006, although the European Union is insisting it should be 2005.
Fans will be able to see the Williams team with their new sponsors at Sunday's San Marino Grand Prix in Imola.
BAT officials insisted that no decision had been taken on BAR but said the ban on tobacco advertising from 2006 left it with a difficult issue. "Shareholders might well ask whether it is appropriate for the second largest tobacco company in the world to hold a stake in a small racing team," admitted an official.
BAT is unusual in that it not only sponsors racing cars through its Lucky Strike brand but also holds a controlling interest in the company that develops and uses the cars.
The move came as British American Tobacco hinted it might sell its majority share of British American Racing (BAR) because it will not be able to sponsor cars after 2006.
The Williams team used to be a big recipient of cigarette sponsorship, but founder Sir Frank Williams said he was "delighted and proud" to be working with NiQuitin and its owner, GlaxoSmithKline.
The deal was hailed by anti-smoking groups as a huge step forward. "This puts paid to the formula one myth that the sport would not survive without tobacco advertising," said Amanda Sandford of the Ac tion on Smoking and Health. Sir Paul Nash of Cancer Research UK said the deal would be welcomed by everyone involved in the treatment of smoking-related diseases. It should help to dispel the myth that smoking is glamorous.
Tobacco advertising has long been controversial in Britain. The first scandal of the Blair government came when it appeared to do a u-turn on banning tobacco advertising after the Labour party received a £1m donation from formula one chief Bernie Ecclestone. The money was later returned.
Trackside tobacco advertising has been banned in Britain since 1999 with sponsorship to follow in 2006, although the European Union is insisting it should be 2005.
Fans will be able to see the Williams team with their new sponsors at Sunday's San Marino Grand Prix in Imola.
BAT officials insisted that no decision had been taken on BAR but said the ban on tobacco advertising from 2006 left it with a difficult issue. "Shareholders might well ask whether it is appropriate for the second largest tobacco company in the world to hold a stake in a small racing team," admitted an official.
BAT is unusual in that it not only sponsors racing cars through its Lucky Strike brand but also holds a controlling interest in the company that develops and uses the cars.
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