Ferrari removes all Mission Winnow branding for Australia

Melbourne: Ferrari will remove all branding by tobacco giant Philip Morris's "Mission Winnow" initiative for the opening Formula One race of the year in Melbourne after concerns about cigarette advertising, officials said Wednesday.

On Tuesday Mission Winnow was removed from Ferrari's official name for the Australian Grand Prix on March 17 after local authorities launched an investigation into whether the team breached laws over tobacco advertising.

A Philip Morris International spokesperson told AFP that Mission Winnow will also not appear on the car or team uniforms in Australia.

"Mission Winnow will remain the title sponsor of Scuderia Ferrari in 2019," the spokesperson said.

"However, our activation will be different in Australia than in other countries. We will announce additional details in the lead-up to the race in Melbourne." The sport's governing body, the FIA, is opposed to any advertising or sponsoring of cigarettes or tobacco, but Philip Morris re-entered the sport last October through its scientific research subsidiary and branded Ferrari cars with its Mission Winnow

logo.