Grid girls will not be used in 2018

  • Published on 31 Jan 2018 16:26
  • 15
  • By: Fergal Walsh

Organisers have announced that grid girls will no longer play a part on race day in Formula 1. Grid girls previously stood in front of cars before the race got underway, holding a card which indicated the driver they were standing in front of.

However, after weeks of deliberation, it has been determined that grid girls will no longer serve roles during an F1 weekend. The girls have also been used for advertising, wearing clothes which brand a logo of an F1 sponsored company.

"While the practice of employing grid girls has been a staple of Formula 1 Grands Prix for decades, we feel this custom does not resonate with our brand values and clearly is at odds with modern day societal norms," said managing director of commercial operations Sean Bratches. "We don't believe the practice is appropriate or relevant to Formula 1 and its fans, old and new, across the world."

Replies (15)

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  • Fine with me. They are getting ahead of a wave of backlash against sports use of women in ways that objectify them.

    • + 1
    • Jan 31 2018 - 18:43
    • It doesnt really affect me, so its fine by me. It s not like anyone watch F1 just to see them, and they arent shown to us viewers very often.

      • + 0
      • Feb 1 2018 - 06:31
    • Absolutely agree. And if anyone thinks it's a big deal not to have eye candy you made an excellent cheeky suggestion below. For some people being 'outraged' is almost a sport. There are many playing that sport with Liberty every time they announce a miniscule change to anything

      • + 0
      • Feb 1 2018 - 17:16
    • It was a pretty good comment, wasnt it? I mean, its such a non issue that I dont get the outrage. I literally wasnt aware of them until 2015 (its not even a joke), because they were hardly ever shown on TV. Rage when there is a reason to rage. Low PU allocation?
      Go ahead. Midshiw highlights? Help yourself. But this? Sorta feels like a waste of energy.

      • + 0
      • Feb 1 2018 - 19:42
  • Jutlandia

    Posts: 191

    So when are Chearleaders disapearing in American football?
    They will have to go as well.
    Has anybody heard any complayning from the feminists organisations regarding this?

    • + 1
    • Jan 31 2018 - 20:47
    • Since they're actually doing something entertaining and acrobatic, rather than just being eye-candy for horny men, I assume any complaints would only be about skimpy outfits, not about the cheerleading itself.

      • + 1
      • Jan 31 2018 - 21:55
    • f1dave

      Posts: 782

      So just ask the grid girls to shake it up a little and all will be OK.

      • + 0
      • Jan 31 2018 - 22:29
  • Savio

    Posts: 145

    The political correctness. Fuck off

    • + 3
    • Jan 31 2018 - 22:52
    • So... you have just your hand to keep you satisfied, right? Normal men with GFs/Wifes don't need to desperately see skimpy women in F1 to keep them happy. So how about you fuck off and leave the sport to mature fans who care about the actual racing instead aye?

      • + 0
      • Feb 2 2018 - 04:33
  • No grid girls
    Formula 'Halo'.

    F1 2018 sucks already.

    • + 1
    • Feb 1 2018 - 00:38
    • If you want entertainment with scarcely clad women with no halos in sight, there is something referred to as pornography, and I've heard that its great.

      • + 0
      • Feb 1 2018 - 15:58
  • ZUKMAN

    Posts: 40

    Can we have transgender homosexuals as a replacement? So Nobody would've been offended.

    • + 0
    • Feb 1 2018 - 11:01
  • Barron

    Posts: 625

    As others have said, it doesn’t bother me at all one way or the other, however, this was a decision taken by men. I would have understood it better if women themselves said “hey, we don’t like being objectified so we’re not doing it” kind of thing. Women will always be objects of desire - it’s what makes the world turn, (some) women know it and exploit it themselves. There are of course those that force women into situations against their will which we all agree is completely wrong, but F1 was not one of those situations. I would have liked it better had they just let it fade away without making a song & dance about it. James Hunt would have been furious! ?

    • + 0
    • Feb 1 2018 - 11:11
  • Trelas

    Posts: 1,024

    Maybe we can have grid dogs, that carry the driver signs?

    but seriously, the grid girls are complaining because they are being fired, fans are complaining, who does this serve exactly, the feminist women that don't even watch F1?

    For me it doens't matter really much. On T.V. you don't see (a lot of) it, on the track you only see them if you're sitting on the main stage, and of course at the end at the podium ceremony. I'm watching F1 to see a race (which is hard on some tracks, more like a F1 train), but it's nice to see a race in a nice enviroment...

    • + 0
    • Feb 1 2018 - 13:29
  • Bhurt

    Posts: 320

    I can't believe this is even newsworthy.

    • + 0
    • Feb 1 2018 - 23:05

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