Formula 1 bosses have announced that grid girls will no longer be a part of grands prix weekends, starting this season.
According to F1’s official website, the move “also apply to our other motorsports series that take place during the Grands Prix weekends,” meaning support categories at the Australian Grand Prix must adhere to the decision.
F1 commercial boss Sean Bratches argued that the practice was outdated and counter to the image Liberty Media wanted for the championship.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
F1 is not the only sporting series currently rethinking its approach to using women in such a manner, with the UK’s Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) causing controversy last week when it scrapped the use of walk-on girls.
Several players criticised the move and a petition from fans for the PDC to change its mind was signed by more than 30,000 people.
The darts authorities of other European nations said they would keep the long-standing tradition of using walk-on girls.
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