Formula 1 is eliminating its walk-on grid girls ahead of the 2018 World Championship season.
While grid girls have been a longstanding tradition, Sean Bratches, the managing director of commercial operations at Formula 1, said they no longer serve a purpose in the sport.
“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 in a statement.
“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.”
The announcement comes as little surprise considering Formula 1 execs have previously been vocal about changes being introduced to the sport, which included reviewing the use of grid girls.
The Formula 1 move comes shortly after the Professional Darts Corporation announced it would no longer use walk-on girls to accompany players at its events.
The Women's Sport Trust embraced the decision, applauding the Professional Darts Corporation for “moving with the times and deciding to no longer use walk-on-girls.”
The Trust further noted in a statement that “women in the sporting environment should be judged by their sports appeal and not sex appeal,” adding that “the more savvy marketers and sponsors will recognize that in the 21st century, the presence of grid girls is unacceptable and off-putting for many men and women.”
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