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There are places in the world where legacy hums in the air. Maranello is one of them.
Arriving in this small Italian town feels less like stepping into a destination and more like entering a living engine room of excellence. Everything pulses in Ferrari red. This is the birthplace of icons. The cathedral of combustion. The spiritual home of Scuderia Ferrari.
Inside the Ferrari Museum, history does not sit quietly behind glass – it accelerates. Championship cars gleam like sacred relics. Trophies line the walls. Every prancing horse emblem tells a story of obsession with performance.
But this visit was not only about heritage. It was about evolution – and the renewed partnership between Philip Morris International (PMI) and Scuderia Ferrari that is entering a new chapter in 2026.
Scuderia Ferrari is not merely a racing team; it is Formula 1’s longest-standing competitor. Remarkably, Scuderia Ferrari existed before Formula 1 itself, a testament to its deeply rooted racing DNA.
From Enzo Ferrari’s founding vision to today’s cutting-edge engineering, the Scuderia Ferrari name represents endurance and resilience. In Formula 1, legacy is earned in milliseconds – and Ferrari has been refining them for decades.
Reinvention has always been part of its DNA. And that is precisely where PMI enters the story with ZYN, their nicotine pouches, offering a smoke-free alternative to cigarettes.
Lorenzo Giorgetti, Ferrari’s Chief Racing Revenue Officer, described the partnership as a meeting of values:
“Ferrari has always valued partnerships built on innovation, responsibility and a vision oriented toward continuous improvement. Our renewed collaboration with PMI is a concrete expression of this approach, grounded in scientific progress and long-term thinking.”
This is not nostalgia. It is strategic alignment.
The PMI–Scuderia Ferrari relationship spans more than 50 years, making it one of the longest-standing collaborations in Formula 1. But in 2026, the partnership evolves beyond historical association into a visibly modern alignment.
ZYN, PMI’s smoke-free oral nicotine brand, now features on the 2026 Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 car on certain race liveries – including placement on the rear-view mirrors – as well as across select team environments. This visibility signals a shift in how PMI positions itself within global motorsport: not as a cigarette company of the past, but as a business emphasising smoke-free alternatives for adult nicotine users.
For Scuderia Ferrari, the partnership represents continued collaboration with a long-term global partner undergoing transformation. For PMI, Formula 1 remains a platform to engage adult audiences in an environment defined by technology, precision and performance.
In an era where sponsorship in Formula 1 continues to evolve amid regulatory scrutiny and shifting brand narratives, this renewed agreement reflects strategic recalibration on both sides – heritage meeting transition at race pace.
Lorenzo said something along the lines of, one thing that unites us, is our ability to constantly question ourselves. And I agree. It's about our ability to push the boundaries of innovation. And it's about investing in people and partners that will make this happen."
PMI’s history spans more than 175 years. But in January 2026, the focus was firmly on the future.
Yann Marois, PMI’s Vice President of Global Smoke-Free Products, said: “We have been partnering with Ferrari for over 50 years, and this partnership has evolved significantly. Today, it represents our shared commitment to innovation and transformation. For decades, it was about technology and performance. Now, it’s also about how we show up and connect with legal-age nicotine users.”
That word – transformation – was deliberate.
PMI has publicly committed to moving away from cigarettes toward smoke-free alternatives, particularly through ZYN. The company positions itself as undergoing a fundamental business shift, investing heavily in research and development.
Furthermore, Nickolaus Ricketts, PMI’s President of Oral Products Director, was direct in his framing: “Our ambition is clear: to accelerate the end of smoking. Innovation and collaboration are essential to achieving that goal…The nicotine we use is addictive and intended for an adult audience. Motorsports is very much an adult environment, and being able to speak to adults in that setting makes sense for a brand like ZYN.”
The regulatory and responsibility framing is intentional – and central to the narrative PMI is building.
Longevity alone does not guarantee relevance. Marois emphasised that the partnership today is about more than visibility:
“This collaboration is built on shared values: performance, cutting-edge technology and a relentless drive to improve. It’s about standing next to a partner that understands what it takes to create something iconic – and connecting with a global audience authentically and with intention.”
Scuderia Ferrari operates in one of the most technologically advanced sporting environments in the world. Margins are microscopic. Innovation cycles are relentless.
PMI, too, operates in a space defined by research, development and regulatory oversight.
As Marois concluded: “This partnership today is about shaping the future together. It’s about pushing the boundaries of innovation and investing in the people who make progress possible.”
Here, the philosophical overlap becomes clearer: both organisations frame excellence as continuous iteration rather than a fixed finish line.
Standing in the shadow of championship cars, it becomes clear that Scuderia Ferrari does not fear reinvention – it depends on it.
Formula 1 is a sport where yesterday’s breakthrough becomes tomorrow’s baseline. PMI’s current strategy echoes that same philosophy: evolve, invest, improve.
Ferrari represents mastery of combustion. PMI represents a business attempting to move beyond it. At their intersection sits Scuderia Ferrari – still chasing tenths of a second, still refining performance, still rewriting what is possible.
ZYN’s placement on the 2026 car’s review mirror may be commercial positioning, but symbolically it marks a shift in narrative: from combustion heritage toward a smoke-free future, albeit one that is not risk-free.
Innovation is rarely absolute. It is iterative. Tested. Refined. Much like a Formula 1 car. And in a world where relevance moves at race pace, perhaps the most powerful move is not acceleration – but adaptation.
As Marois reflected: “Excellence is not just about the finish line. It’s about every step along the way, every decision you make. That shared belief is what keeps us aligned.”
As the engines quieted and Maranello’s lights dimmed, one thought lingered:
The future belongs to those willing to change gears.
Scuderia Ferrari has always understood that.
And now, PMI has positioned itself to do the same.
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