FIA President Jean Todt has ruled out any ban or restrictions on alcohol sponsorship in Formula 1.
A recent report conducted by the European Alcohol Policy Alliance known as Eurocare showed that based on brand exposure in last year's Monaco Grand Prix, F1's global audience of around 500 million was exposed to an alcohol brand every five seconds.
The report followed the non-governmental public health group's attempts to draw attention to the matter when it issued an open letter to Jean Todt in 2014, calling on the Frenchman to "take a stand and demonstrate moral leadership on the issue".
Todt responded by highlighting the FIA's "Action for Road Safety" campaign which he initiated in 2009. The FIA President, who acknowledged receipt of Eurocare's report, also said he could not intervene on the matter.
“The use of advertising for alcohol is not linked to the FIA,” Todt said at the International Transport Forum in Germany. “It’s linked to each singular country. I’m completely against and advocating against drinking and driving, but each country needs to make his own job. “You cannot ban alcohol, it is not possible, but you can educate people not to drink and drive. So we are working very closely on that because we know it is an essential topic to be addressed.”
Currently, three teams carry alcohol sponsorship: Williams (Martini), Force India (Smirnoff and Kingfisher, and McLaren (Johnnie Walker).
Click here for a more light-hearted take on the Monaco Grand Prix.
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
