The equation ‘alcohol = celebration’ was planted in my head by Formula 1. And no, it wasn’t the alcohol sponsorship in the sport, but the post-race podium ceremony. If Formula 1 bans alcohol sponsorship, will this lead to an automatic ban on champagne celebrations on the podium? Raikkonen’s eagerness to race to the podium will only drop further. (Yes, I know that Bahrain and Abu Dhabi already use ‘rose water’ as a substitute).
The alcohol ban should then extend to the team’s hospitality areas and the Paddock Club – in which case, I can already tell you that the ban won’t come into effect. Imagine telling a 70-year-old Rolex wearing Formula 1 fan (Bernie’s friends?) to shell out a few thousand dollars for ‘five star’ hospitality at the races but without alcohol. The funnier part is that Bernie would still believe that thousands will willingly pay those thousands. Sigh!
In a world where revenue sources are limited, why would the FIA even think of a blanket ban on alcohol sponsorship? Currently, this ban is exercised by the host country and its regulations and this is where it should be left.
Alcohol is a media restricted category in a fair number of countries, which is also why brands spend heavily on sports and use the platform to reach out to their audiences. We all know how cash intensive our sport is, which is why it isn’t strange that the three teams who rely heavily on alcohol sponsorships are privateer teams.
‘Drink and Drive’ is possibly a bigger global problem than Formula 1 – one that cuts across racial, gender and language barriers. I would rather that the FIA, FOM and the powers involved use the global platform of our sport to help spread the message of safety. ‘Make Roads Safe’, ‘Think Before You Drive’ and ‘Champions Drink Responsibly’ are a few of the global campaigns that already exist.
While the sport is in aggressive pursuit of ‘road relevant’ technologies, it won’t cost much to remain ‘socially relevant’.
