Mission Winnow, an initiative launched by Philip Morris as part of a move towards a tobacco-free future, has been Ferrari’s title partner since its inception at the 2018 Japanese GP.
Its logos can be seen on the Ferrari engine cover, as well as the lettering on the rear wing and other areas of the car.
However, there were times when the Mission Winnow logos were removed because Philip Morris wanted to avoid any controversy while the government increasingly scrutinized whether or not it violated tobacco advertising laws.
It was missing for a number of races in 2019 and didn’t show up at all during the shortened 2020 campaign.
For this year, however, the Mission Winnow logos returned in light green to further promote the campaign.
But before the race at Paul Ricard this weekend, Philip Morris said his logos would no longer be seen in any race within the EU.
The company also confirmed that it has no plans to use them at the British Grand Prix next month as well.
In a statement, Riccardo Parino, VP Global Partnerships at Philip Morris, cited “suspicion” and “skepticism” of the tobacco industry and said his company does not want to get involved in controversy by promoting the logo.
“The Mission Winnow logo will not appear on the livery of Scuderia Ferrari during races in the EU from the French Grand Prix this weekend,” he said.
“Mission Winnow respects all laws and regulations and constantly strives to find distinctive ways to drive ideological dialogue and build strong partnerships based on shared values.
“We recognize the mistrust and the great skepticism towards our industry. However, our intent is not to create controversy over the application of the logo, but rather to focus on reshaping global conversations, building communities, and supporting innovative ideas that drive positive change. “
In a separate development, Ferrari announced a new technical and commercial partnership with Amazon Web Services in which the company’s logos appear on the nose of the SF21.
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