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<\/p>\nAttorneys general from 19 states and jurisdictions in the United States voiced concerns to Formula One and the FIA over tobacco industry sponsorship in the sport.<\/p>\n
The criticism was detailed in a letter to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and the sport\u2019s regulator president Mohammed Ben Sulayem on Monday.<\/p>\n
McLaren and Ferrari were CC\u2019ed at the bottom of the letter, as both teams have tobacco-related sponsors. Zyn, producers of a nicotine pouch, is a partner of Ferrari, while McLaren is partners with British American Tobacco, which owns the nicotine pouch company Velo. The Velo logo is on the sidepod of McLaren\u2019s current car.<\/p>\n
These types of partnerships aren\u2019t new to the F1 world. Tobacco companies held a significant presence in the sport, pouring millions of dollars into different teams and levels. One of the most iconic was Marlboro and Ferrari. Traditional cigarette advertising was officially banned in F1 from the end of the 2006 season.<\/p>\n
These attorneys general are calling for the \u201cexisting policy prohibiting cigarette sponsorships\u201d to be expanded and also \u201cprohibit sponsorship involving all tobacco and nicotine products, including nicotine pouches, and to terminate all current sponsorships involving these products.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 19 attorneys general who penned the recent letter represent Hawaii, Vermont, Arizona, California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Puerto Rico, Virginia and Washington.<\/p>\n
The Athletic has contacted the FIA for comment. An F1 spokesperson said:\u00a0 \u201cFormula 1 adheres to all applicable laws in our race markets.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n Ferrari used to partner with Malboro (Mark Thompson\/Allsport\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
All 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and other territories\/federal districts, have their own attorneys general, and there is a single federal attorney general, which is the head of the Department of Justice. State-level attorneys general are the chief legal officers, and they handle legal matters that affect their respective states.<\/p>\n
In 1998, the attorneys general of 46 states and the four major U.S. tobacco companies reached a legal agreement known as the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). It settled the lawsuits that focused on recovering \u201cbillions of dollars in health care costs associated with treating smoking-related illnesses,\u201d per the June 2026 letter to F1 and the FIA, and MSA \u201cbanned tobacco advertising targeting youth, specifically limiting sponsorship of auto racing events.\u201d<\/p>\n
Public health entities have called on F1 about this matter before, but these partnerships are still allowed and so Ferrari and McLaren are still permitted to partner with Zyn and Velo respectively.<\/p>\n
Both manufacturers have been approached by The Athletic for comment on the letter in which they are CC\u2019ed.<\/p>\n