Formula 1 Scraps The Use Of Grid Girls For The 2018 SeasonFormula 1

[Robin]

'Grid girls' will no longer be used by Formula 1 from the start of the 2018 World Championship season, organisers have announced.

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Sean Bratches, managing director of commercial operations, said the change would be made "so as to be more in tune with our vision for this great sport". F1 managing director of motorsports Ross Brawn told BBC Radio 5 live in December that the use of female promotional models was "under review". The new F1 season begins on 25 March. "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," Bratches added. "We don't believe the practice is appropriate or relevant to Formula 1 and its fans, old and new, across the world." Stuart Pringle, managing director of British circuit Silverstone, said: "We wholeheartedly support the decision by F1 to drop the use of grid girls - it is an outdated practice that no longer has a place in sport."

Last week, the Professional Darts Corporation said walk-on girls will no longer be used at events. Soon after, the Women's Sport Trust tweeted: "We applaud the Professional Darts Corporation moving with the times and deciding to no longer use walk-on-girls. Motor racing, boxing and cycling... your move."

In December, BBC Sport carried out a vote on whether 'grid girls' should be part of Formula 1, with 60% saying that they should be. 'Grid girls' are models used to conduct certain promotional tasks, usually wearing clothing that bears the name of a sponsor. Their duties in F1 included holding umbrellas or driver name-boards on the grid and lining the corridor through which the drivers walk on their way to the podium. Their use has become the subject of debate as social attitudes have changed, and some races have begun to experiment with alternatives, such as using male models instead of female, or children as mascots.

The first race of the season is the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 25 March.

This is getting ridiculous now. They are acting like every girl that has ever stood next to something ever has somehow been doing it against their will and equally has been seen purely as an object which is far from the truth. They are more like PR/Marketing agents who do a lot of things other than just stand next to a number, they help connect with fans and build the brand they are working for. It has provided a career for many women and is quite a prestigious role. I don't hear many grid girls complaining that it wasn't a glamorous exciting job.

I guess they will ban traditions like Cheerleaders next because in theory it has nothing to do with the actual event.

 

[Northstar]

“Children as mascots.”

So adult females voluntarily taking the job is a bad thing, but child labor is all fine and dandy?

 

[Carbonox]

Thought it'd be a so-called "progressive" decision, and was right, it seems.

Will grid guys be banned, though?

 

[phenomphlyer]

Waiting for Grid Robots to take their place.

 

[DesertPenguin]

Well people's opinions about this will certainly reveal a lot about themselves...

 

[MatskiMonk]

Well people's opinions about this will certainly reveal a lot about themselves heh...

Yeah, open minded free-thinkers will see it as an odd decision.

People who think that job opportunities for women should be curbed will support it!

 

[phenomphlyer]

What would Bernie think of this decision?

 

[Robin]

People who think that job opportunities for women should be curbed will support it!

They think they are doing women a favour but are actually restricting their ability to make their own career decisions and are making many of them unemployed whilst they are at it!

What would Bernie think of this decision?

I dont think bernie would have ever let this fly with the sport still under his control.

 

[DesertPenguin]

Any women that are grid "girls" can probably easily find a job/career in the modelling world somewhere. It's not like they're immediately out on the street or something.

 

[Furinkazen]

Any women that are grid "girls" can probably easily find a job/career in the modelling world somewhere. It's not like they're immediately out on the street or something.

...

That's the point.... It's a job / career, they are having opportunities at high profile events to get exposure being taken away from them.

 

[Northstar]

Any women that are grid "girls" can probably easily find a job/career in the modelling world somewhere. It's not like they're immediately out on the street or something.

What if they enjoy Motorsports and being a grid girl allows them to combine two things they enjoy? Not sure if you’ve ever talked to one, but I’ve met a few who seem to know more about racing than most of the fans.

 

[DesertPenguin]

Oh, I wholeheartedly agree that it's wrong, but it's not like they're gonna be out of a job is all I was getting at. I remember talking to a few at the one race I went to and they were normal people that were just as exciting to be there as I was.

 

[Danoff]

I guess they will ban traditions like Cheerleaders next because in theory it has nothing to do with the actual event.

In terms of brand image, cheerleaders are a little better than grid girls because they actually participate ever so slightly in the event itself. The cheerleader role is to maintain a level of enthusiasm with the home crowd. Some sports venues take it to extremes:

Granted, the halftime performance at basketball games doesn't really play much into the game directly, but at least it keeps the crowd interested in what would otherwise be a boring snooze-fest of a sport. Grid girls are pretty much just eye candy. They don't cheer, they don't play to the crowd, they don't seem to take an interest in any way in the sport itself, they're walking (standing) billboards.

I think they're great, but I can see how Formula 1 is concerned about brand image when using women as signs, basically. It's their call. Anyway, I think this thread calls for an omage to grid girls.

 

[Furinkazen]

I agree in some cases especially in years gone past there has been an over sexualization. But they can do a job without being sexualized.

 

[Simmpa]

I saw the word "Grid" and hoped they where going to stop the Grid Penalty. This is so ridiculous I bet this is some sort of response to the #Metoo and stop fat shaming moment.

 

[homeforsummer]

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[05XR8]

Fine by me, if any of you have not been to the AGP, they come up with the worse designs anyway. Saves the embarrassment.

I'm sure putting those number sticks with a secure weight on the bottom, costs less than a model.

 

[Robin]

In terms of brand image, cheerleaders are a little better than grid girls because they actually participate ever so slightly in the event itself.

Grid girls are pretty much just eye candy. They don't cheer, they don't play to the crowd, they don't seem to take an interest in any way in the sport itself, they're walking (standing) billboards.

When they are on the grid, yes, but they do other stuff off camera which would constitute involvement like meet and greets with fans, autograph signings, giving away swag, doing performances (dancing) etc. Some of them become somewhat celebrities in their own right if you look at something like the Monster Girls. So in a way they do add something to the event.

I agree in some cases especially in years gone past there has been an over sexualization. But they can do a job without being sexualized.

I feel that the opposite has been happing, there have been quite a few races in the past few years where organisers have actually been dressing them much more conservatively. Now they wear trouser suits and rain jackets and the years of tank tops and miniskirts have been numbered for a while now, so I don't see what was so wrong with them continuing being involved in the sport.

I'm sure putting those number sticks with a secure weight on the bottom, costs less than a model.

Out will come the headlines 'Women Loose Jobs To Metal Poles'... the outrage

 

[AudiMan2011]

Not exactly spreading a message for equality by getting rid of something that wasn't that big an issue in the first place.

Just smacks of more pandering to the hysterical PC feminist brigade just like in the darts. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...walk-on-girls-escorting-dart-players-at-games

 

[homeforsummer]

Blame the feminists rather than consider why they might have considered the move in the first place: got it.

Here's another take:

I don't know how many of you have any kids, but pretend you do for a second.

Let's say one of them is an 8-year-old girl. She's getting interested in cars and F1 because - well, her dad is, and 8-year-olds think their parents are the best people in the world and want to bond through common interests.

So she's watching F1 with her dad and absorbing every minute. But she notices that the only girls in the sport are just standing there in matching clothing on the grid, then sod off for the entirety of the race, then reappear just to line the walls as the men walk to the podium, hand out the trophies, give the TV interviews etc.

If your 8-year-old is inspired by the sport and wants to get involved in future, are grid girls the best representation of what she could achieve? How easy might it be as a parent trying to explain why the only women she's seeing in three or four hours of coverage - aside from the occasional TV presenter - are there just to make some of the camera shots a bit prettier? Why can her brother grow up to be a racing driver or a mechanic or team manager or race director if her only realistic chance of getting into F1 is as a brolly dolly?

Now I'm sure 8-year-old girls want to look pretty themselves, but I'm also sure plenty have ambitions to do cool things when they grow up. If she grows up and wants to be a model herself then more power to her, but it'd be nice to think that young kids aren't being discouraged before they've even started down a career path.

But no, it's definitely feminists and political correctness rather than logic and promoting broader opportunities.

 

[AbsoluteBarstool]

Blame the feminists rather than consider why they might have considered the move in the first place: got it.

Here's another take:

I don't know how many of you have any kids, but pretend you do for a second.

Let's say one of them is an 8-year-old girl. She's getting interested in cars and F1 because - well, her dad is, and 8-year-olds think their parents are the best people in the world and want to bond through common interests.

So she's watching F1 with her dad and absorbing every minute. But she notices that the only girls in the sport are just standing there in matching clothing on the grid, then sod off for the entirety of the race, then reappear just to line the walls as the men walk to the podium, hand out the trophies, give the TV interviews etc.

If your 8-year-old is inspired by the sport and wants to get involved in future, are grid girls the best representation of what she could achieve? How easy might it be as a parent trying to explain why the only women she's seeing in three or four hours of coverage - aside from the occasional TV presenter - are there just to make some of the camera shots a bit prettier? Why can her brother grow up to be a racing driver or a mechanic or team manager or race director if her only realistic chance of getting into F1 is as a brolly dolly?

Now I'm sure 8-year-old girls want to look pretty themselves, but I'm also sure plenty have ambitions to do cool things when they grow up. If she grows up and wants to be a model herself then more power to her, but it'd be nice to think that young kids aren't being discouraged before they've even started down a career path.

But no, it's definitely feminists and political correctness rather than logic and promoting broader opportunities.

I see what you're saying, but I'm sure that a fair few female drivers have found reasonable success thus far.

I won't at all deny that influence from the media plays a fairly powerful role in the ambitions of a child, but the problem is that their argument about the grid girls representing an out-of-date tradition that is incompatible with the way that society works these days is more than just a poor cop-out.

If they really didn't want to be a pack of 🤬-stirrers, then they would have just announced the change and said 'nah, we don't really want to use them anymore,' and just left the dialogue there. We really don't need a culture of people giving purposefully divisive and bovine-leavings excuses for everything.

 

[Northstar]

Blame the feminists rather than consider why they might have considered the move in the first place: got it.

Here's another take:

I don't know how many of you have any kids, but pretend you do for a second.

Let's say one of them is an 8-year-old girl. She's getting interested in cars and F1 because - well, her dad is, and 8-year-olds think their parents are the best people in the world and want to bond through common interests.

So she's watching F1 with her dad and absorbing every minute. But she notices that the only girls in the sport are just standing there in matching clothing on the grid, then sod off for the entirety of the race, then reappear just to line the walls as the men walk to the podium, hand out the trophies, give the TV interviews etc.

If your 8-year-old is inspired by the sport and wants to get involved in future, are grid girls the best representation of what she could achieve? How easy might it be as a parent trying to explain why the only women she's seeing in three or four hours of coverage - aside from the occasional TV presenter - are there just to make some of the camera shots a bit prettier? Why can her brother grow up to be a racing driver or a mechanic or team manager or race director if her only realistic chance of getting into F1 is as a brolly dolly?

Now I'm sure 8-year-old girls want to look pretty themselves, but I'm also sure plenty have ambitions to do cool things when they grow up. If she grows up and wants to be a model herself then more power to her, but it'd be nice to think that young kids aren't being discouraged before they've even started down a career path.

But no, it's definitely feminists and political correctness rather than logic and promoting broader opportunities.

Well, in that scenario you can go down 1 of 2 paths.

Option 1 is you explain to her that while there aren’t any female drivers in F1 yet there are plenty elsewhere. At which point you tell her about Christina Nielsen, Kathrine Legge, the Force sisters, Leena Gade, Leah Pritchett etc.. Plus bringing her to racing events to let her explore her interest in racing more.

Option 2 is continue being the stereotypical modern parent and just continue letting the TV raise your child.

 

[DesertPenguin]

Well, in that scenario you can go down 1 of 2 paths.

Option 1 is you explain to her that while there aren’t any female drivers in F1 yet there are plenty elsewhere. At which point you tell her about Christina Nielsen, Kathrine Legge, the Force sisters, Leena Gade, Leah Pritchett etc.. Plus bringing her to racing events to let her explore her interest in racing more.

Option 2 is continue being the stereotypical modern parent and just continue letting the TV raise your child.

Pretty sure there's a third option in between those two

 

[Northstar]

Pretty sure there's a third option in between those two

Hoping someone else does it for you?

 

[DesertPenguin]

No, just pointing out that you're way of thinking is a bit too narrow.

 

[homeforsummer]

I see what you're saying, but I'm sure that a fair few female drivers have found reasonable success thus far.

It isn't just about drivers. It's about girls in any role that isn't just standing in front of cars looking pretty.

I won't at all deny that influence from the media plays a fairly powerful role in the ambitions of a child, but the problem is that their argument about the grid girls representing an out-of-date tradition that is incompatible with the way that society works these days is more than just a poor cop-out.

People are coming at this from the wrong angle.

The concept of grid girls isn't undesirable because it's not politically correct to appreciate the female form (though if that's really what concerns you then for pity's sake you're on the internet), it's because they are currently the only high-profile female role models in the sport. They're there to smile, wave at the camera and get out of the way when the important people need to do some racing. That's not a great state of affairs.

Well, in that scenario you can go down 1 of 2 paths.

Option 1 is you explain to her that while there aren’t any female drivers in F1 yet there are plenty elsewhere. At which point you tell her about Christina Nielsen, Kathrine Legge, the Force sisters, Leena Gade, Leah Pritchett etc.. Plus bringing her to racing events to let her explore her interest in racing more.

Option 2 is continue being the stereotypical modern parent and just continue letting the TV raise your child.

Pretty sure there's a third option in between those two

Indeed.

Option 1 doesn't really wash as it's more than just about drivers, even if that's the highest-profile role. Only a tiny percentage of men will ever be professional racing drivers and far more will try and get into the sport, so that being the case you might as well give up on your son getting into racing, let alone your daughter.

That, and I'm sure most, if not all the drivers mentioned above would probably wish themselves to be motor racing's role models rather than grid girls themselves. So far the only people online I've seen complaining are actual grid girls themselves (predictable, though it's probably not a long-term career choice) and men who just like looking at totty in short skirts (veiled beneath complaints about political correctness).

But careers like engineering - for which demand is always high - are equally relevant in top-flight motorsports and you don't see many women there either. Nor in most other areas of the sport. You might briefly see a PR agent standing behind a driver when they're being interviewed after a race (hardly the most inspiring role models, slightly out of focus as the drivers do the talking) but by and large, the girls getting covered in champagne at the end of the race are probably the most prominent female roles right now.

I love that you see the sport in such black and white though. You either get to talk about the handful of female drivers who hover around the top flight briefly and then forever disappear, or you're a terrible parent. Neat. That third option, by the way, is that the sport itself changes and becomes a better role model for their youngest, most impressionable viewers.

 

[Northstar]

No, just pointing out that you're way of thinking is a bit too narrow.

So elaborate!

If you think I’ve missed something, say what that is! And not just “ I think you missed something”.

 

[DesertPenguin]

First off, your second option is a blatantly broad statement showing off your passive aggressive demeanor on the subject. You can at the least explain the origins of grid girls since they did start a time when it literally was because there was too much testosterone, but now that women have a larger role in motor sport overall the context for grid girls has changed. There is so much more to this conversation than just "it's okay daughter, you can't see it here but there are women in this sport" or your a horrible parent.

 

[Lizard]

Actually yes I will argue.

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This to start. No one cared, men are trying to justify their disgust. I mean if a garage guy got laid off, no one cares, so much so the press don't even report it.

Ok men like women, women like men, this is fine. It's normal to have posters of your favourite actor or actress because you think they look good, however you remember them for the films they were in, they did more than just show off their body.
Same with models as a whole actually. Sure it may have it's sexualisation issue but that aside for now, it sells clothes, those women are employed to market clothes and clothes sell better if being worn by a nice looking person. Seriously have you never noticed how clothes look better being worn by someone than not worn at all? And worn by someone who looks good over someone who is fat and covered in spots?
Grid girls aren't. They are paid to be eye candy for men.
Women are hired to work on cars, they help make the car go faster round the track, grid girls aren't.

And it hardly ruined the sport like some say. The racing is hardly going to be different.

 

[F1GTR]

They think they are doing women a favour but are actually restricting thier ability to make thier own career decisions and are making many of them unemployed whislt they are at it!

If a model’s good enough to book an F1 gig she’ll book other jobs all year round pretty easily, especially if they're with a decent agency.

Sure it may have it's sexualisation issue but that aside for now, it sells clothes, those women are employed to market clothes and clothes sell better if being worn by a nice looking person. Seriously have you never noticed how clothes look better being worn by someone than not worn at all? And worn by someone who looks good over someone who is fat and covered in spots?
Grid girls aren't. They are paid to be eye candy for men.
Women are hired to work on cars, they help make the car go faster round the track, grid girls aren't.

And it hardly ruined the sport like some say. The racing is hardly going to be different.

On modelling and fashion, it's important to note that models in campaigns and adverts are often cast for their ability to portray a certain attitude or ideal. They may (self deprecatingly) refer to themselves as living clothes racks but they're more like actors really. It's why Kate Moss was (and is) so popular, she could transform herself into so many different kinds of women.

I won't miss the grid girls at all really. In fact I usually tune in on the warm up lap and then get up and do some other stuff while the podium interviews are on. The way some people around the internet have complained about this makes me wonder if they even watch F1 for the racing.