The Weekly Grapevine

Ferrari and Tobacco

This year Ferrari have produced a fair number of shockers, but Saturday evening's announcement that the financially-strapped planning to persuade Valentino Rossi to switch from two wheels to four, had extended their partnership deal with Philip Morris International certainly took the prize for raising the greatest number of eyebrows in the shortest amount of time.

Not only did company president Luca di Montezemolo rather nonchalantly announce probably the largest sponsorship deal in the team's history - after all, why, given that tobacco companies have fewer marketing options than ever, would the annual value of Ferrari's red areas be considered less worthy than before? - whilst addressing the international media during an annual dinner, but did so in the immediate wake of a guilty verdict after legal proceedings were brought initiated by Italy's anti-smoking lobby.