A photo display of deceased Canadian F1 driver Gilles Villeneuve may have run afoul of strict tobacco advertising laws.

The Gilles Villeneuve Museum is looking at a fine of up to $2,000 for a display booth it set up on trendy Crescent Street during the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal last month.

A decision hasn't been taken on whether a fine will be levied.

Located in Berthierville, Que., the museum survives largely on donations and the work of volunteers.

Photos were among a number of items on display that showed the Quebec driver with a prominently displayed Marlboro logo emblazoned on his uniform.

The report filed by inspectors indicates that while the photos are permitted to be displayed within the confines of the museum, they become illegal when they are on display in public.

Quebec health department inspectors charged with applying the law decided the photo display contravened tobacco advertising rules.

Tobacco advertising has been banned in Canada since 1988. In 2003, those rules were extended to the sponsorship of cultural or sporting events.

A spokeswoman for the health department said the inspectors were just doing their jobs.

Gilles Villeneuve, who died in a racing accident in Belgium in 1982, is the father of Canadian race car driver Jacques Villeneuve.

The race track in Montreal where the Grand Prix is held is named for the late F1 star.