Philip Morris has been a long-term main sponsor in Formula One, particularly with Scuderia Ferrari and McLaren. The sponsorship of McLaren by Marlboro began in 1974 and continued until 1996, marking one of the longest title sponsorship deals in Formula One history, lasting 23 seasons.
During this era, Marlboro-branded McLaren cars won multiple world titles. James Hunt secured the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1976 while driving for McLaren. Ayrton Senna also won three Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles with McLaren. Other famous drivers associated with Marlboro-sponsored McLaren and Ferrari cars who won world titles include Alain Prost, Niki Lauda, and Michael Schumacher.
Over the years, McLaren adjusted the Marlboro livery to comply with regional anti-tobacco sponsorship laws.
Beyond Formula One, Philip Morris also sponsored title winners in MotoGP, road racing, and Indy Cars.
In motorcycle racing, Philip Morris International sponsored the Ducati Corse and Yamaha MotoGP teams. Marlboro sponsored Yamaha from 1999 until the 2002 MotoGP season. In 2003, Marlboro became a title sponsor for the Yamaha team, though the company logo did not appear on the riders' motorcycles due to tobacco advertising bans in European Union countries. Yamaha won the constructor championship in the 2000 season during this sponsorship period. Marlboro's sponsorship of Ducati continued until 2007, during which time Ducati won the constructor title in the 2007 season with Casey Stoner as the rider champion.
In 2019, Philip Morris International returned as a sponsor for the Ducati MotoGP team with its "Mission Winnow" branding, similar to its sponsorship of the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One team. This branding faced controversy in countries like Australia and Italy, with authorities viewing it as an attempt to circumvent tobacco advertising bans. A Philip Morris International spokesperson stated that Mission Winnow was not tobacco advertising but a company dedicated to helping smokers quit their addiction. Mission Winnow branding was removed during the 2019 French motorcycle Grand Prix in Le Mans and the 2019 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix in Phillip Island due to local regulations. By the 2020 season, Mission Winnow was replaced by Lenovo as Ducati's main sponsor.
In recent times, due to restrictions on tobacco advertising, Philip Morris's sponsorship in Formula One has become more subliminal. Despite the inability to display the Marlboro logo directly on Ferrari cars, Philip Morris renewed its sponsorship deal with Ferrari in 2011, 2015, 2017, and 2018, extending until 2021. The 2017 deal was reported to be worth $160 million a year.
Philip Morris's "Mission Winnow" branding was visually present on Ferrari cars at the 2018 Japanese Grand Prix. However, after investigations by Australian authorities, this branding was removed by Ferrari for the 2019 Australian, Canadian, and French Grands Prix to avoid issues with tobacco advertising bans. In 2022, Mission Winnow/Philip Morris International and Ferrari mutually ended their title sponsorship and sponsorship agreement. As of 2025, Philip Morris International has returned to sponsor Ferrari, with its Zyn nicotine pouch brand appearing on Ferrari's official list of sponsors.
In the 21st century, Philip Morris International has diversified into smoke-free products, such as the Iqos brand of heated tobacco products and the Zyn brand of nicotine pouches. This pivot is reflected in its current sponsorships.