[jneglia]

Anyone know why Ducati does not have a "major" sponsor for the Moto GP team? There is this huge white "your name here" on the side of the bike and middle of the rider. Seems last year Marlboro showed up now and then.

 

[SP3]

It is still Marlboro, all the time. The space is left "blank" by reason of the tobacco ban. You'll see the same with Ferrari in F1, etc. It's been going on for a few season's now and eventually, there will be no branding of tobacco companies at all allowed.

 

[kingsnake1650]

Yamaha has Camel post all over thier bikes...

 

[SP3]

The ban is not total yet but some companies are honoring it ahead of the deadline date. I cannot and will try to explain it completely. I suggest doing an internet search or a search on a tobacco company site about the topic for a better explanation. Having worked in the pro racing world (with teams that had some smoke sponsorship) I can tell you that this has been coming for a long time now.

 

[xopher]

You will notice at the next round that the drink adverts will be banned being an arab country.

 

[zooom]

You will notice at the next round that the drink adverts will be banned being an arab country.

yeah...I noticed that with the opening round of WSBK at Qatar that the Corona logo was modified for that exact reason!

 

[SP3]

No spraying of the bubbly (real stuff anyway) on the podium either.

 

[xopher]

or grid girls showing thier legs etc

 

[airkitty]

I'm going to watch the race in Quatar but I will miss the grid girls. I'm with the riders when they query - why do we race there? It strikes me as a missed opportunity to race somewhere that loves motorcycling (like the south east USA).

 

[dresda]

My theory on this is that they are building tracks and holding races in areas where there are lots of smokers and no restrictions on tobacco advertising. Otherwise, why build a track in China?

Stephanie

 

[SP3]

My theory on this is that they are building tracks and holding races in areas where there are lots of smokers and no restrictions on tobacco advertising. Otherwise, why build a track in China?

Stephanie

Exactly right and add to that, governments who front the money to build the tracks and pay the enormous sanctioning/promoting fee. They justify this by thinking that it brings in tourists and makes their country look like a "player" in the world. The "big (car/bike) market" idea doesn't matter to the FIA/FIM, only the money from the fees.

 

[trid741]

In countries that have banned all forms of cigarette advertising, such as France for example, all the bikes have to run without their primary sponsors' logos. That's why you'll see a big "Vale" or something instead of "Camel", or, in the case of the Ducati GP bikes, just the red and white color scheme, which everybody knows, stands for Marlboro.
In much of the Third World, there are no such bans, and cigarette consumption is increasing.
Rgds
Richard