After some consideration, Formula One has finally decided to end its use of grid girls starting with the 2018 FIA F1 World Championship season. About freaking time.
Grid girls will also no longer be used in F1's other motorsports series that occur during the Grands Prix weekends, according to a press release. Sean Bratches, F1's managing director of commercial operations 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.”
No shit, guy!
In the wake of women coming forward with reports of sexual harassment and abuse in the work space and the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, having women idly standing by at these races explicitly for the benefit of the male gaze is definitely a bad look.
Anyway, if you are super torn up about this, don’t be! You can always throw on a belly shirt and some heels of your own at home and watch your races that way.
The new season will begin in March with the 2018 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.