Formula One Management has announced that grid girls are to no longer be used at Formula One World Championship events, be it the Grand Prix or support events.

In a press release issued today, FOM said: "Formula 1 will end the long-standing practice of using walk-on grid girls, commencing with the start of the 2018 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season. These changes also apply to our other motorsports series that take place during the Grands Prix weekends.

"Formula 1 considers the time spent by teams and drivers on the grid before a race as one of celebration, where guests and various performers can add to the glamour and spectacle of the Grand Prix, enabling promoters and partners to showcase their countries and products.

"Over the last year we have looked at a number of areas which we felt needed updating so as to be more in tune with our vision for this great sport," said Sean Bratches.

"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. We don’t believe the practice is appropriate or relevant to Formula 1 and its fans, old and new, across the world."

Meanwhile, it is hoped that FOM might now relax the ban on overtaking that appeared to be in place for much of 2017.

LATEST NEWS

more news >

LATEST IMAGES

galleries >

Click to go to the main galleries section

READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Spindoctor, 08/02/2018 16:00

"At the risk of being slagged for "Political Correctness", and as someone who finds Liberty's presence in F1 totally apalling, my considered response is: "So what?"

Clearly I'm not a "proper man" becuase to be honest, I never noticed the grid girls, as such. I'm not that interested in the "grid" anyway except inasmuch as it has F1 cars on it, obviously!
I rather pity the poor drivers who have to hang around aimlessly, answering empty questions from bored TV pundits, when all they (and I) want is to get things going. The new-fangled need to "salute the flag" of whatever despotic nation is holding the race must nbe an added irritation for them.

So long Grid Girls, and thanks for all the fish......"

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

2. Posted by Editor, 02/02/2018 22:35

"@ Ro

Kindly keep your criticism to Liberty Media and don't tar all Americans with the same brush.

A lot of our American readers are as concerned with the direction the sport F1 is taking under Liberty as the rest of us."

Rating: Negative (-1) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

3. Posted by Ro, 02/02/2018 19:05

"Well , at least the BTCC wont give up the practice. They also have Grid Boys. Good on yer mate! Sense prevails. Whats the best thing about Yanks. They are over there! Stop meddling, you cant make it better!"

Rating: Positive (1) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

4. Posted by NickK, 02/02/2018 15:48

"What a shame - PC damned Yankees don't understand Formula 1 at all. It's a glamourous sport. The Grid Girls clearly love being there, the razmattaz is part of the fun, I suspect most of the fans enjoy the atmosphere they add to and despite press reports they are never 'scantily clad'. Are cheerleaders being dropped from American sports, are models to be banned from catwalks, are air stewardesses to wear boiler suits? If Liberty worry about their PC image, why not just balance it out by having grid boys join the grid girls. Liberty seems bent on destroying the sport they paid so much to buy. Quite ridiculous in my view."

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

5. Posted by jcr, 02/02/2018 10:54

""Our Vision for This Great Sport" Does anybody really know what this vision is ??
They just seem to keep messing about with silly changes, that have no bearing on the sport at all !!!"

Rating: Positive (1) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

6. Posted by Ro, 02/02/2018 9:13

"We may now all live in a Politically Correct world, but this ban is just plain nonsense. What next, are we gonna no more girls showing the round number in boxing ? Perhaps ban girl ball-boys in tennis? F1 needs a kick up the rear end, not some mamby-pamby little stroke on someones buttocks. Do something that will make F1 better, dont just try to make sure youre not been seen as sexist"

Rating: Positive (1) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

7. Posted by VC10-1103, 02/02/2018 1:48

"I always felt the girls standing shoulder to shoulder from the ante room to the podium clapping as the drivers walked past cringe making.

"

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

8. Posted by imejl99, 01/02/2018 14:08

"@Max Noble

don`t use too much Super Bowl comparisons, we may end up with "live delayed" F1 broadcast :)
5 sec is eternity in F1 :)
(delayed broadcast is common halftime show practice since Janet Jackson 2004 wardrobe malfunction)"

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

9. Posted by Max Noble, 01/02/2018 13:42

"No doubt this year’s Super Bowl will not involve any females involved in any form of sexualisation while singing, cheerleading, or generally looking full of life and happy while looking respectfully American and modestly sexy in a non-sexual manner. God Bless Conformity. "

Rating: Positive (4) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

10. Posted by V10s4Me, 01/02/2018 11:18

"After Liberty completely stuff up Formula 1 Bernie won't have to spend too much to buy it back! "

Rating: Positive (1) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

11. Posted by Stitch431, 01/02/2018 11:13

"Maybe someone can prevent Chase Carey form attending the races instead. That dreadful mustache makes me puke every time I see it. First the halo, now this, and! no real measures to make racing exciting again. At the end f this year, Liberty Media will have to fake the Broadcasting numbers a lot more than they did already this year ..."

Rating: Positive (2) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

12. Posted by Ro, 01/02/2018 10:54

"Does this include the ridiculous sight of the "girls" on the podium? What is the reason for them to be there. But to be honest, there shouldnt be Heads of state, Ministers etc handing out the cups either"

Rating: Positive (2) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

13. Posted by george, 01/02/2018 7:09

"The first team having the sense to hire their own grid and pit girls, and elevate their presence by producing some related, tasteful I hope, merchandise, will gain most of the surviving f1 fans. Hope it's Ferrari. But if I was the Sauber GM, I was hiring already.
F1 keeps digging a bigger and bigger hole for itself. Hope Ferrari finally gets serious on that alternative f1 circuit, time is right for it. Can start preparing the 2021 season already after the current agreement ends "

Rating: Positive (1) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

14. Posted by ryanhellyer, 01/02/2018 0:09

"Good riddance. Grid girls are a cringe worthy throwbackm and should have been removed decades ago. I remember watching F1 in the early 90's and realising it was clearly a bunch of creepy old men in charge because of awkward presence of grid girls."

Rating: Negative (-6) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

15. Posted by LukeP, 31/01/2018 22:39

"Agree with previous comments that Liberty have a lot more to do to make F1 more enjoyable, but this is a positive change in my opinion. The whole "grid girl" thing is out-dated and cringe worthy."

Rating: Negative (-6) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

F1 to stop using grid girls

LATEST NEWS

RELATED ARTICLES

LATEST IMAGES

POST A COMMENT

Post your comment

READERS COMMENTS

Share this page