Marlboro, who is also sponsoring Ducati's MotoGP squad, has been a continuous sponsor of Ferrari since the mid-1980s. Although it started off as a secondary sponsor, in the late '80s the company became primary partner of the Maranello team, a relationship that continued until this day. The current deal between the two parties is to expire at the end of 2011, but according to Autosport, Marlboro will go for a 3-year extension soon enough.
And despite the fact that the International Automobile Federation (FIA) has pushed for the eradication of cigarette branding of F1 teams, neither Ferrari, nor Philip Morris believe a new deal would go against the international law.
“We see no obstacles in the way of extension,” said a spokesman for the brand. “Our relationship with Ferrari is a real partnership built over a period of over 20 years of constant, mutual support. (...) All conditions (for extension) have been met,” he added.
As you all know, Ferrari has had its share or problems last year regarding car branding, as the famous bar code design was abandoned on claims of subliminal advertising.
If Ferrari have changed all that – the new logo was seen during the recent Wroom media event this January – another F1 team might encounter some problems when tackling the Canadian Grand Prix in 2011. According to some reports, the new livery showcased by Lotus Renault GP team for the upcoming season – black & gold – resembles the John Player Special cigarette pack back in the 80s.
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