Dutch brewer Heineken’s sponsorship deal with Formula One, announced last week, has led to renewed calls from European campaigners for a ban on alcohol sponsorship in the sport.
European Alcohol Policy Alliance network Eurocare, which groups public health and non-governmental organisations, said yesterday it wanted stronger legislation from the Euro Commission and member states.
France, a country without a Formula One grand prix, already bans alcohol sponsorship of sporting events.
“F1 should ask themselves if they want to be a motorsport or an alcohol brand event,” said Eurocare general secretary Mariann Skar in a statement that estimated the Heineken deal to be worth $150m to F1 over five years.
“If both the sport and the drinks producers want to be seen as responsible industries, they should stop this deal and move away from alcohol sponsorship in Formula One.”
Eurocare also published a letter sent to Jean Todt, the president of Formula One’s governing body, the International Automobile Federation (FIA).
Todt, a Frenchman and former Ferrari principal, has made reducing the number of motoring fatalities a cornerstone of his presidency and is a United Nations special envoy for road safety.
“We would like to remind you that drink driving is one of the key killers on the road. It is therefore worrying that F1 is now bringing the link between alcohol brands and motor sport even closer together,” the letter said.
Tobacco companies were big backers of F1 until the sport kicked the habit in 2008, although the Philip Morris brand Marlboro remains a Ferrari partner without on-car branding.
A report published by Eurocare last year analysed the 2014 showcase Monaco Grand Prix, one of the most-watched races of the season, for alcohol brand exposure and found viewers received an average of 11 references per minute over two hours.
Ferrari, Williams, McLaren and Force India all have alcohol branding while Diageo’s Johnnie Walker has been Formula One’s official whisky since 2014 with considerable trackside advertising.