(CavemanCircus.com)
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
R.I.P. - F1 Grid Girls
Formula 1 grid girls are gone
The time for change has come
LONDON - Formula 1 is ending the use of female models who parade and stand with the drivers' name boards before every grand prix, with immediate effect.
The sport announced the decision in a statement Wednesday and said the change would also apply to all support series on the program.
"While the practice of employing grid girls has been a staple of Formula One 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 commercial manager Sean Bratches.
"We don't believe the practice is appropriate or relevant to Formula 1 and its fans, old and new, across the world," he added.
F1 has not had a woman race driver on the starting grid since the 1970s but is far more mixed off the track, with female engineers and mechanics as well as in media and marketing.
Two of the 10 teams have had female bosses, including former championship-winning team Williams. Formula 1 management has a number of women in senior positions, too.
The use of female models, even if not as scantily-clad as in the past, has been increasingly criticized in a sport that is now under U.S.-based ownership following Liberty Media's takeover last year.
Liberty, who ousted former supremo Bernie Ecclestone a year ago, have been looking to make the pre-race show more of a feature with the emphasis on entertainment for fans and promotion.
(AutoBlog.com)
The time for change has come
LONDON - Formula 1 is ending the use of female models who parade and stand with the drivers' name boards before every grand prix, with immediate effect.
The sport announced the decision in a statement Wednesday and said the change would also apply to all support series on the program.
"While the practice of employing grid girls has been a staple of Formula One 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 commercial manager Sean Bratches.
"We don't believe the practice is appropriate or relevant to Formula 1 and its fans, old and new, across the world," he added.
F1 has not had a woman race driver on the starting grid since the 1970s but is far more mixed off the track, with female engineers and mechanics as well as in media and marketing.
Two of the 10 teams have had female bosses, including former championship-winning team Williams. Formula 1 management has a number of women in senior positions, too.
The use of female models, even if not as scantily-clad as in the past, has been increasingly criticized in a sport that is now under U.S.-based ownership following Liberty Media's takeover last year.
Liberty, who ousted former supremo Bernie Ecclestone a year ago, have been looking to make the pre-race show more of a feature with the emphasis on entertainment for fans and promotion.
(AutoBlog.com)
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