Link to the article on the Vaucher Analytics website.

Disclaimer: Vaucher Analytics in no way endorses smoking, cigarettes or any tobacco products, the information presented in this article is for purely educational purposes.

Tobacco sponsorship didn’t just bankroll racing, it reshaped the economics of motorsport entirely. 

In this episode, we unpack how cigarette brands like Marlboro, Rothmans, and John Player Special engineered the modern sponsorship model by exploiting motorsport’s unique global, cultural, and regulatory environment. 

We also break down: 

• Why no other industry has matched tobacco’s saturation-level presence
• How alcohol, energy drinks, crypto, and luxury brands have tried to fill the vacuum
• What traits define a truly disruptive, high-margin sponsor in today’s racing landscape
• Where teams and series should look next, from fintech to cannabis to AI

Forget nostalgia. This is about understanding the mechanics of sponsorship leverage, and where the next “irrational growth” money might come from.
 
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