Mosley Calls for Worldwide Ban of Tobacco Ads

Max Mosley, the president of Formula One's governing body the FIA, expressed his fears on Thursday that the sport could be ruined if a ban on tobacco advertising is not embraced worldwide.

Mosley believes that Formula One could split up if every country that currently hosts a Grand Prix around the world does not agree with a ban on tobacco advertising.

The FIA have said they will ban tobacco advertising in the sport after the 2006 season but fear that teams who rely on millions of pounds of tobacco sponsorship will be tempted to race in countries that do not enforce the ban.

"For a major world sport taking place in a number of countries it is absolutely essential the ban takes place everywhere," said Mosley, who was speaking at the launch of the World Health Organisation's Tobacco Free Sports Campaign in Geneva.

"If they do not all do it on the same day, they will damage our sport. It is quite clear to everyone that the trend worldwide is to eliminate tobacco sponsorship."