- 26 Jan 18, 00:47#443577
Does anyone have a link to a mobile F1 calendar that syncs??
Can't find the one I used last year...
Can't find the one I used last year...
After the agony of defeat, success will be sweet!
Discuss the sport you love with other motorsport fans
No more grid girls from this season onward....
http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/42890261
Formula 1 is to replace 'grid girls' with a new programme called 'grid kids' this season.
F1 bosses plan to use budding racing drivers "to make the pre-race ceremony more relevant and interesting for fans, especially the younger ones".
The sport said last week it would no longer be using female promotional models on the starting grid.
The children used will be competitors in karting or junior categories, chosen by national motorsport authorities.
A joint statement from governing body the FIA and the F1 Group said the choice would be made "on merit or by lottery".
FIA president Jean Todt said: "Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport and the dream of every young racer competing the junior series that make up the FIA's single-seater pyramid, from karting all the way to F1.
"We are therefore delighted to bring that dream a little closer by giving the future champions of our sport the opportunity to stand alongside their heroes on the grid in the build-up to the race start.
"For the wider FIA, this is an excellent initiative that provides additional support to our member (sporting authorities) in their efforts to grow motorsport worldwide through a unique reward they can make available to youngsters participating in their national series."
F1 managing director of commercial operations Sean Bratches said he hoped the opportunity to "stand beside their heroes" would be for the children chosen "an unforgettable experience for them and their families" and "an inspiration to keep driving, training and learning so that they can dream of one day being there themselves".
He added: "What better way to inspire the next generation of Formula 1 heroes?"
Bratches said last week that using 'grid girls' "does not resonate with our brand values and clearly is at odds with modern day societal norms".
When F1's decision was announced, commercial chief Sean Bratches said using grid girls "does not resonate with our brand values and clearly is at odds with modern day societal norms".
It has since announced a similar initiative to FE to invite youngsters and aspiring race drivers onto the grid, but CEO Chase Carey has also revealed it will work to "maintain glamour" and part of that will include having "pretty girls at races".
According to the Daily Telegraph, Carey said: "I think it's a part of life, and it's a part of what makes our sport special. It is a sport of glamour and of mystique.
"But I think you have to continue to evolve. In today's world there are obviously different sensitivities to 10-12 years ago.
"I don't think you can just be stubborn."
He added: "If a meaningful number of people don't agree with something, I think you have to respect that.
"But we will continue to be a sport with glamour, with excitement - and with pretty girls."
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