F1 ends longstanding practice from 2018 season

Formula 1 will no longer use walk-on grid girls from the 2018 F1 season. These changes, according to the FIA, will apply to the support series that take place during Grand Prix weekends. Its reasoning stems from new efforts to make F1 more appealing to a wider range of spectators.

“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,” said Sean Bratches, F1 managing director, commercial operations. 

“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 F1 and its fans, old and new, across the world.”

View our full F1 calendar here