Several health organizations in the Netherlands are protesting McLaren’s tobacco sponsor Velo, which is part of British American Tobacco, which advertises its products in Formula 1, including Vuse e-cigarettes.
In April this year, the authorities in the Netherlands banned the sale of some of Velo’s tobacco products, and this ban is already in place in many European countries. But the ban on advertising such products has not yet come into effect in the Netherlands, so McLaren is allowed to advertise the Velo and Vuse.
The team has officially confirmed that they have checked the situation and have no doubts that McLaren is not violating the current legislation in the Netherlands, where the season in Formula 1 resumes this weekend at the Zandvoort track.
At the same time, several health organizations in the country filed complaints with the local body that monitors advertising in the media and at sporting events, including a foundation that fights heart disease and another that raises funds to fight cancer.