Formula 1 faces renewed call to ban alcohol sponsorship

The European Alcohol Policy Alliance, known as Eurocare, is a group of non-governmental public health and social organisations working on the prevention and reduction of alcohol-related harm in Europe.

Eurocare has conducted a report into last year's Monaco Grand Prix and the television coverage from Sky Sports, highlighting the fact there were 284 minutes of coverage, including pre and post-race, as well as the race itself.

The report shows throughout the entire programme F1's global audience of around 500 million was exposed to an alcohol brand every five seconds.

In F1 at present there are three teams that carry alcohol branding in Williams (Martini), Force India (Smirnoff and Kingfisher), and McLaren (Johnnie Walker).

Eurocare secretary general Mariann Skar said: "The amount of alcohol-related exposure in F1 settings is extreme by anyone's standards.

"There seems to be a lack of recognition within the F1 community about their responsibility when showing alcohol adverts every five seconds to an audience of 500 million viewers.

"We now urge the involved bodies in F1 to move away from alcohol sponsorship."

In his response, Todt highlighted the 'Action for Road Safety' campaign he has made a priority since his election as president in 2009.

Todt, however, brushed aside Eurocare's demands by stating "the FIA has no part at all in the management of the commercial rights of the championship", and that "the candidate teams manage their own rights themselves".

Eurocare's campaign is supported by the Institute of Alcohol Studies, whose director Katherine Brown said: "Alcohol sponsorship of motorsport generates seriously mixed messages about drink driving and road safety, and contradicts the spirit of current EU rules on alcohol advertising.

"A common sense approach would be to stop alcohol companies from this risky business of sponsoring Formula 1."

Alcohol advertising in F1 effectively goes against the grain of a European Union directive that states "Television advertising...shall not link the consumption of alcohol to enhanced physical performance or to driving."

It is why there is a push to ban alcohol advertising in sports in light of the fact drink-driving is the third biggest killer on EU roads.

The stance is similar to that which led to tobacco advertising being outlawed by the EU, and which had a major impact on F1 when it was banned from the end of the 2006 season.

In the early 2000s a number of teams carried tobacco sponsorship in Ferrari (Marlboro) McLaren (West), Jordan (Benson and Hedges), Benetton (Mild Seven) and BAR (British American Tobacco).