Not only is a Stone-owned team fielding a car emblazoned in major sponsorship from SP Tools; grid girls are part of the deal.
Following that announcement, we ask what place you think grid girls have in motorsport, in this week’s Pirtek Poll.
Motorsport being largely the domain of red-blooded males, at least historically, scantily-clad ladies standing in front of bikes/cars before the race was once a common sight.
While the outfits trended towards greater modesty over the years, particularly at grands prix, the World Endurance Championship banned grid girls in 2015 and Formula 1 followed suit in 2018.
The practice then quietly fell out of favour in Supercars, but became a talking point again with last week’s Car #4 livery launch.
In more recent times, it is only Tickford Racing sponsor Monster Energy and the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 which have been regularly represented by grid/promo girls.
Supercars has never imposed a ban, although Speedcafe understands that at least one sponsor with sizeable investment in the championship does not allow grid girls in its name.
That is a stance which would be a disappointment to some fans, who believe that the girls are part of the show.
Motorsport is, of course, not only a sport but a spectacle.
If the aesthetics of the cars are a talking point, let alone the liveries, then it stands to reason that grid girls would be of interest to some, especially when one considers the predominantly male fanbase.
They may have no impact on the sporting contest, but nor does the pyro which is liberally sprayed at some events, and some sponsors – noting Monster Energy and Boost Mobile arguably have similar brand positioning – clearly see value in grid girls.
However, times have changed, and so has motorsport, with a variety of programmes intended to encourage female participation in the full gamut of jobs/roles which the industry provides for.
Two days after MSR’s announcement, and just over a week after she became the first full-time female race engineer to take a Supercars pole position, PremiAir Racing used International Woman in Engineering Day to celebrate the achievements of Romy Mayer.
The logical consequence of greater female participation would be a greater female fanbase, and thus a healthier sport all-round.
To be fair, though, working as a grid girl also constitutes female participation.
It is work – though some quite enjoy doing it – and, in any case, those who undertake such an activity do so of their own free will. Some even use it as a launchpad into long careers in which they are more deeply integrated in the sport.
It would be somewhat ironic then, if one was to call for an end to the practice of grid girls for the stated reason of female empowerment.
However, it is also fair and reasonable to argue that presenting women as objects simply to be leered at is sexist and demeaning, and thus has a net negative effect on female participation.
When F1 announced its new policy in 2018, then commercial chief Sean Bratches 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.”
However, three-time Le Mans-winning engineer Leena Gade opined on X (then Twitter) at the time: “Banning grid girls is politically correct and will be about as successful as Playboy getting rid of nudity #AddressTheCorrectProblem.
“#gridgirls and dropping them. Don’t understand the logic that observers outside of this sport have come up with – did you bother to ask why there is a shortage of engineers, drivers and mechanics in general?
“It’s down to piss poor education from peers.”
Again, motorsport has changed since then, and broader female participation is encouraged.
But, does that mean ‘bans’ on grid girls should be relaxed, does it mean they should be maintained, or has it become apparent that the girls’ presence was never really needed in the first place?
What do you think? Cast your vote in this week’s Pirtek Poll.
