The European Alcohol Policy Alliance has written to the FIA to renew calls for alcohol sponsorship and advertising to be banned in Formula 1.
Alcohol brands including Martini, Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff all feature prominently on various teams' cars in the F1 paddock, but the organisation is raising concerns that this does not fit alongside the FIA's road safety message.
"When considering the continued destructive prevalence of drink-driving, permitting the mixed messages presented in alcohol sponsorship of Formula 1 seems ever more inappropriate given the total viewing audience of 500m," The Telegraph quotes the secretary general of the body, Mariann Skar, as saying.
"Allowing alcohol sponsorship in Formula 1 seems to contradict many official guidelines for the marketing of alcohol. It runs against the EU Directive which states that marketing for the consumption of alcohol should not be linked to driving.
"Moreover, the current association between alcohol and driving does not seem to fall in the category of 'the widespread promotion of responsible drinking messages', part of the mission supported by the alcohol industry itself."
Tobacco sponsorship is already prohibited in F1, while alcohol logos had to be removed for this year's inaugural Russian Grand Prix, as alcohol promotion in motorsport is restricted in the country.
Sian Cowper
