U.S. Attorneys General Challenge F1's Nicotine Pouch Sponsorships as Tobacco Violation

On June 9, 2026, nineteen U.S. attorneys general wrote Formula 1 and the FIA objecting to nicotine pouch sponsorships by Zyn and Velo on Ferrari and McLaren. The brands are owned by Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco respectively. Although nicotine pouches contain no tobacco leaf, the AGs argue the deals violate longstanding motorsport advertising bans. The sponsorships occupy a regulatory gray zone: existing rules don't explicitly cover nicotine-delivery products. F1's expanding U.S. presence makes such legal friction costly.