• Marlboro in the world of motorsports:
Joining an influx of tobacco brands, Marlboro first introduced their colours to motorsport in 1972, sponsoring the BRM F1 team.
From that point, PMI used Marlboro as a major sponsor for teams such as McClaren and Ferrari, and some top drivers including Senna, Häkkinen, and Schumacher.
The Marlboro brand also entered MotoGP, sponsoring some of the most accomplished riders in the sport, namely Angel Nieto and Giacomo Agostini. Marlboro liveries appeared all over bikes until the 2000s, e.g. the Yamaha YZR500, Honda NSR500s, and Ducati’s Desmosedici.
Following restriction on tobacco advertisement, Marlboro branding was displayed for its final time in the MotoGP in Qatar (2009) worn by Nicky Hayden and Casey Stoner for the Ducati Marlboro team.
Marlboro saw huge success in rally too. Sponsoring some big teams like Mitsubishi and Lancia, the Marlboro brand was also stuck on the suits and helmets of some of the world’s greatest rally drivers, including Tommi Mäkinen and his iconic Evo VI. Though they faced similar advert restrictions, PMI was able to make Marlboro one of the most prominent brands in the sport.
Aside from these three, Marlboro has appeared in numerous other forms of racing - Le Mans, IndyCar, GP2, Formula 3, etc. etc.
Despite it’s branding controversies towards the end of the 2000s, Marlboro will go down as one of the most well-known sponsors in the history of motorsports.
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