Marlboro is well known for its association with motor racing.

This started in 1972 with the sponsorship

In 1974, Marlboro became famously associated with the McLaren team, which brought it its first
Constructors' Championship and its drivers title for Emerson Fittipaldi. The team was successful through
to 1978, with another world champion in James Hunt in 1976. Following that, the partnership went
through a dry patch until Ron Dennis's Project Four Organization took over the team in 1981. Marlboro-
sponsored McLaren dominated F1 for much of the 1980s and early 1990s, with Niki Lauda, Alain Prost
and Ayrton Senna between them winning the Drivers' Championship all but one year from 1984 to 1991.
After the departure in 1993 of Ayrton Senna, who died in an accident the following year, Marlboro
McLaren did not win a race for three years. Marlboro ended their sponsorship of the team in 1996,
which ended the famous red and white McLaren livery. After the end of the 1996 season, McLaren was
sponsored by West from 1997 onwards.

Over the years, McLaren had to alter the Marlboro livery to comply with regional anti-tobacco
sponsorship laws which were in place in countries like France, the United Kingdom and later Germany.
The Marlboro logo was replaced by a chevron in 1974, with a barcode in 1984 and 1985 and from 1987
to 1992 or with "McLaren" in 1986 and from 1991 to 1993 and 1994 to 1996. At the 1986 Portuguese
Grand Prix, Keke Rosberg's car was painted yellow and white rather than red and white, to advertise
Marlboro Lights.

Marlboro also sponsored Scuderia Ferrari's drivers since 1973 (the brand appeared only on helmets and
suits) but only in 1984 became a minor sponsor on Ferrari's single-seaters. Until then, Enzo Ferrari
allowed only technical suppliers brands to appear on his team cars. In 1993, Marlboro began to take
over as the primary sponsor, and in 1997 became title sponsor as the team was officially named
"Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro".

Prominent Marlboro branding on Ferrari Formula One car and team at the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Over the years, Ferrari, just like McLaren, had to alter the Marlboro livery in various ways to comply with
regional anti-tobacco sponsoring laws which were in place in countries like France, the United Kingdom
and later Germany. The Marlboro logo was removed completely or replaced with a white space from
2000 to 2004 (The Ferrari cars had white spaces over Marlboro occasionally in 1998 and 1999), changed
to a "bar code" from 1994 to 1999 and in 2005 and 2006, or the text was removed while keeping the
chevron with the driver's name (1993) and in the team member clothing, the Marlboro logo became a
white square with a red stripe above with the driver's written name from the 1980s until 1996. The
team used a special livery for the 2001 Italian Grand Prix in remembrance of the September 11 attacks
in the United States; both cars ran without any sponsorship livery and sported matte black nose-cones.
In the 2005 Bahrain Grand Prix the cars sported black nosecones as a sign of mourning for Pope John
Paul II.

In September 2005, Ferrari signed an extension of their sponsorship arrangement with Marlboro until
2011. This agreement came at a time when tobacco sponsorship had become wholly banned in the
European Union, and other major F1 teams ended their relationships with tobacco companies. In
reporting the deal, F1 Racing magazine judged it to be a "black day" for the sport, putting non-tobacco
funded teams at a disadvantage and discouraging other brands from entering a sport still associated
with tobacco. The magazine estimated that in the period between 2005 and 2011, Ferrari received $1
billion from the agreement. Depending on the venue of races and the particular national laws, the
Marlboro branding became largely subliminal in most countries.

In mid-2006, special "racing editions" of Marlboro Red were sold in the UK, with a Ferrari-inspired
design, although the Ferrari name and badge were not used. In April 2008, Marlboro displayed explicit
on-car branding on Ferrari for the last time, then permanently replaced with a variety of barcodes in
place of it. Since then, there were calls from leading health officials, the European Commissioner for
Health and influential doctors for a review of the subliminal advertising contract Marlboro has with
Advertising Guerrilla and Ferrari, due to the implications of influencing the purchase of cigarettes with
possible subliminal advertising, as no tobacco products can be promoted in sporting events in
Europe.[32] The Ferrari team claimed the barcode was part of the car design, not an advertising
message.[33]

The controversial barcode design was removed by Ferrari for the start of the Spanish Grand Prix in the
2010 season, but the barcode remained on drivers' team gear.[34] In January 2011, the Scuderia Ferrari
presented a new logo for its racing team. This logo is considered by a specialised F1-website[35] as a
subliminal advertisement for Marlboro, evocating the top-left corner design of a Marlboro cigarettes
pack.

In June 2011, Ferrari extended its collaboration with Marlboro through to the end of 2015, despite
cigarette advertising being banned in the sport.[36] The deal has been subsequently renewed for three
more years, through 2018.[37] In February 2018, Philip Morris renewed their partnership deal with
Ferrari until the end of 2021. While the logo, which has been in place since 2011, has been removed on
this year's car, it is speculated that Ferrari will put Philip Morris' non-tobacco brand iQOS instead,
bypassing currently in-place laws that prohibit specific advertising of tobacco products.[38][39][40][41]

Marlboro had provided financial support to many racing drivers, the most illustrious of whom are Alain
Prost, Ayrton Senna and Mika Häkkinen. From 1970 until the mid-1990s, the logos of the cigaretiers
could be present on the combinations of the drivers if they were not present on the cars. Marlboro has
also sponsored many grand prix races up until 2005.[42][43][44]

Marlboro also sponsored a multitude of other, smaller teams in Formula One. It was the main sponsor of
Alfa Romeo F1 Team between 1980 and 1983, although unable to match up to its pre-war and 1950s
heyday, the team only achieving one pole position, one fastest lap and four podium finishes. In 1984 the
Italian clothing brand Benetton took over Alfa Romeo's livery sponsorship, which they held until the
withdrawal of Alfa Romeo from Formula One at the end of 1985. The Marlboro logo was replaced with a
barcode at certain races, due to tobacco or alcohol sponsorship bans in place.

Marlboro sponsored the BMS Scuderia Italia team from 1988 until 1992, when Chesterfield became
their main sponsor. The livery was very similar to the Ferrari and Alfa Romeo ones. The Marlboro logo
was displayed on the front and side of the cars and on the drivers helmets. In some races where explicit
tobacco sponsoring was forbidden, the Marlboro logo was removed.[45][46][47][48]

Marlboro sponsored the Arrows F1 (by the time known as "Footwork") team in 1994. While Ruffles, a
potato chips brand sponsored the car, Marlboro sponsored the drivers helmets.[49][50]

Marlboro sponsored the EuroBrun team in 1988. The ER188, driven by Oscar Larrauri, Stefano Modena
and Gregor Foitek, featured the Marlboro logo on the helmets of the drivers, as well as the Marlboro
logo and name on the side of the cars.[51][52]

Marlboro sponsored the Fittipaldi Automotive team in 1981. The Marlboro logo was displayed on the
helmets of the drivers.[53][54]

Marlboro sponsored the Forti F1 team in 1995 and 1996. The logo was displayed on the top side of the
car, as well as on the helmets of the drivers.[55][56][57]
Marlboro sponsored the Merzario team from 1977 until the team's collapse in 1979. The Marlboro
logo's were displayed on the front, side and on the drivers helmets.[58][59][60]

Marlboro sponsored the Minardi team in 1995. The Marlboro logo was displayed on the front and side
of the cars and on the drivers helmets. In some races where explicit tobacco sponsoring was forbidden,
the Marlboro logo was replaced with a barcode.[61][62]

Marlboro sponsored the Onyx Grand Prix team in 1989 and 1990. The Marlboro logo was displayed on
the front and side of the cars and on the drivers helmets. In some races where explicit tobacco
sponsoring was forbidden, the Marlboro logo was replaced with a barcode, but the Chevron logo was
retained.[63][64]

Marlboro sponsored Team Rebaque in 1979. The Marlboro logo was displayed on the front and side of
the cars and on the drivers helmets. In some races where explicit tobacco sponsoring was forbidden, the
Marlboro logo was removed.[65][66][67][68]

Marlboro sponsored the Rial Racing team in 1988 and 1989. The Marlboro logo was displayed on the
front and side of the cars and on the drivers helmets. In some races where explicit tobacco sponsoring
was forbidden, the Marlboro logo was replaced with a barcode.[69][70][71]

Marlboro sponsored the Spirit Racing team in 1983 and 1984. The Marlboro logo was displayed on the
front and side of the cars and on the drivers helmets.[72][73]