Advertising: Where there's smoke there's ire

The sport has vowed to implement a voluntary ban on tobacco sponsorship by the end of 2006, but both the European Union and individual governments have renewed their anti-smoking legislation efforts recently. Tobacco sponsorship is believed to be worth almost £200million per year to F1 outfits, and teams such as Ferrari, McLaren, Benetton, BAR and Jordan all benefit from cigarette firm backing.

The European Union's Health Commissioner, David Byrne, said: "We will have new legislation on advertising and sponsorship for tobacco in a couple of months."

The main threat, however, will come from the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This treaty could amount to a worldwide ban on tobacco advertising and, unlike at present in some countries, Formula 1 would not be exempt from its directive anywhere. This could be implemented in as little as three years' time.

Currently, only the British and French Grands Prix are run without tobacco advertising, with the US GP allowing certain branding. Although the future of the Marlboro-backed Hungarian Grand Prix was saved by its government making an exemption for Formula 1, the Brazilian GP is the next which is likely to come under threat due to new legislation there.

FIA president Max Mosley hopes Britain will remain in line with Europe rather than go its own way.

"It would be better if the British Government made any legislation coincide with an international schedule, leaving the voluntary agreement in place in the interim," he told Autosport. "The FIA's own ban depends on the World Health Organisation."

But campaigning from pressure group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) could lead to a total ban in Britain. It believes British-based F1 teams could be restricted from receiving tobacco money because their promotion in European races would be returned to the UK via television. A ban in Britain could have a domino effect around the world, according to ASH's Clive Bates.

"If the Government banned it, then that may have an impact in forcing the European Union to act, which in turn may affect the World Health Organisation framework," he said. "Let's not forget, we are talking about a health issue and, according to the Government, something which will save 3000 lives a year."