Formula One's Biggest Danger

Over at the Nobody's Business blog, Rogier van Bakel writes,

What's the most dangerous thing about Formula One racing? The billboards, of course. That's right: European lawmakers have decided that the racing sport must kick its tobacco habit. No more billboards or decals with cigarette logos. The Guardian writes:

"The UK Tobacco Sponsorship and Advertising Act, coupled with a European commission directive, will remove the sport's biggest commercial supporter, and has left team principals searching for alternative brands."

Ah yes, as you're gazing out at a field of smoke-belching, bullet-speeding supercars, and you're breathing rocket-fuel fumes all afternoon, no health risk could be greater and more dastardly than the sight of a Marlboro sticker.

Whole thing here.

Special Bonus Link (gratuitous insult edition): One of the worst songs ever written, George Harrison's "Faster" is about Formula One racing legend Jackie Stewart and how "crazy people with love so frail" wanted to see him crash. (And I say this as a huge though not uncritical fan of the tune's composer.) Lyrics, though alas not the super-cheesy motor sound effects in the song itself, online here.

Double Plus Good Bonus Link (actually funny and on-topic edition): Nick Schulz, the commandante of the always interesting Tech Central Station, writes with firsthand knowledge of Formula One (F1) workarounds the tobacco ad bans.

I was at the Montreal Grand Prix last year where tobacco ads were banned on cars as well as everywhere else. What's the sponsor Benson Hedges to do? On the fin of the car they sponsor, they covered the letters 'ns' and 'H' and 'ss with black tape so that instead of reading "Benson Hedges" it read "Be on edge."

Of course, everyone in the crowd knew it was, in effect, a Benson Hedges ad. It was really a clever stroke for the forces of fun and humor. The tobacco jihadists are absolutely insufferable, but the threat to F1 is real. The Montreal GP was almost cancelled. Indeed, originally it was, but a late deal was struck to make it work (with a gov't subsidy, natch). Of course, F1 is thriving in Asia, where they love smoking. But the nanny-statists and killjoys will emerge there, too, just give it time.