Thursday 22nd February 2001

Ferrari signed a new contract with cigarette company Philip Morris to carry Marlboro sponsorship until 2006. Rumours that the EU-imposed ban on tobacco sponsorship would put Philip Morris off extending its deal were proved unfounded and the branding remained on the car. The two companies then raised even more eyebrows by agreeing on another deal that would extend the sponsorship to 2011. Rumoured to be worth US$1 billion over seven years, the ban meant that from 2006 the car didn’t even carry the Marlboro brand but a series of stripes instead.