Melbourne rules out ‘sneaky’ F1 tobacco branding

Australian GP

(GMM) There will be no comeback for what Melbourne's state Victorian government calls the "sneaky" way two F1 teams tried to advertise cigarettes at the Australian GP.

That is the claim of Jenny Mikakos, who is the Victorian health minister. She is referring to how big tobacco-related sponsors of the Ferrari and McLaren teams are running on-car branding in 2019.

Following the government's concerns, Philip Morris' 'Mission Winnow' and British American Tobacco's 'A Better Tomorrow' campaigns were removed from the Ferrari and McLaren cars respectively in Melbourne in March.

And they will not return in 2020 and beyond.

"These important (law) changes will stop tobacco giants from misleading Victorians and putting lives at risk," Mikakos told the Sydney Morning Herald.

The law changes will now proceed to Victoria's houses of parliament.