It has been a couple of tough years for the Ferrari F1 team’s title partner, Mission Winnow, an initiative that hailed from the tobacco-manufacturing company, Philip Morris International. The duo’s partnership has been existing since the Ayrton Senna days in F1.

However, one of the biggest controversies struck the inseparable duo in 2019. Amidst F1’s ban on advertising tobacco products on the cars, the presence of ‘Mission Winnow’ felt like PMI’s attempt to flout the laws.

And this led to F1 officials investigating the matter. Although it never blew up into a big issue, Ferrari had to take precautionary actions. For instance, the Reds decided to remove the ‘Mission Winnow’ logo from their cars during the race weekends around Europe this season. Hence, it hasn’t been an easy journey for either of them so far.

However, there could finally be good news heading towards Ferrari. Jacek Olczak, the CEO of Ferrari’s title partner, Philip Morris International, revealed a sensational announcement to the world on Sunday.

What was the announcement from PMI?

According to The Guardian, the CEO of PMI revealed that the tobacco-manufacturing company are calling for a ban on tobacco within a decade in the UK. Jacek said that the company could “see the world without cigarettes. And actually, the sooner it happens, the better it is for everyone.

“Give them a choice of smoke-free alternatives. With the right regulation and information, it can happen 10 years from now in some countries. You can solve the problem once and forever,” he reportedly told Telegraph.

The fact that Philip Morris are outright calling for a ban on tobacco could finally allow Ferrari to sport the Mission Winnow brand on their cars throughout an F1 season. Hence, this news will push the championship-winning team to extend their tie-up with PMI at the earliest.

Read More: Why Did Ferrari Ditch Mission Winnow for Amazon on Their F1 Livery?

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PMI’s relationship with Ferrari in F1

Philip Morris and Ferrari undeniably hold one of the strongest partnerships in F1, with their year of tie-up dating back to 1973, when the brand ‘Marlboro’ showed up on Ferrari drivers’ helmets and suits.

Eventually, in 1984, Marlboro’s logo secured a tiny spot on the car as well. However, after years of growth with the team, F1’s ban on tobacco advertising came into effect in 2005, forcing Philip Morris to end its branding on the cars.

Nevertheless, the company continued to sponsor the Italian outfit. And it wasn’t until 2019 when Philip Morris’ brand returned to the cars, only this time, in disguise. Rather than showing up as a tobacco brand, PMI chose to use their famous anti-tobacco initiative, Mission Winnow.

Overall, amidst rising hatred for Mission Winnow, will Philip Morris’ recent announcement pull the company out of the bad light?

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