Grid Girls to be in place at Singapore Grand Prix

Organisers of the Singapore Grand Prix have confirmed that grid girls will be used at the race next Sunday, despite Liberty Media's decision to discontinue the tradition at the beginning of the season, a move which was met with some opposition.

Singapore Airlines have always traditionally used their cabin crew as grid girls at the race, and in a statement to Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore stated that they will be in place as normal this race weekend.

The statement said: "Our cabin crew are brand ambassadors for Singapore Airlines and will continue to play an integral role in the upcoming Formula 1 2018 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix.”

Liberty Media's rank and file review of the sport upon acquiring the brand in 2017 came to the conclusion that grid girls were an outdated exercise and looked to remove them from the pre-amble of every race.

In Singapore, however, the idea of a 'Singapore Girl' is a brand of its own, and this cultural difference has meant they will not concur with Liberty's decision.

Public relations expert, Dean Shams, said of the decision: "“Liberty Media sees the grid girl as a form of sexism since they typically exude a sexual persona with their scantily clad outfits.

"Rightfully, they want to be seen as a progressive brand. SIA, and Singapore, on the other hand, see Singapore Girls as a local icon. In that respect, they seem like a good fit to represent Singapore’s brand of uniqueness and hospitality.”