Ecclestone says grid girls 'part of the spectacle' after F1 axe

Bernie Ecclestone has lashed out at Formula One's decision to drop grid girls for the 2018 season and beyond, saying the use of models helped add to the glamour of events in the sport and dismissing suggestions that they are offensive.

The sight of women displaying a driver's name and number in front of their car pre-race has been consigned to history as Liberty Media attempt to widen F1's global and family appeal.

Wednesday's decisions has caused rows across the F1 fanbase, some defending grid girls' right to work, while others claiming they set a bad example for children.

Having overseen an era of F1 in which grid girls formed part of the elite sheen that Ecclestone used to turn the sport into one of the richest in the world, the former chief falls down on a predictable side of the argument.

"These girls were part of the show. Fans love the glamour," Ecclestone told The Sun.

"You should be allowed to have grid girls because the drivers like them, the audience like them and no one cares. These girls were part of the show, part of the spectacle.

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"I can't see how a good-looking girl standing with a driver and a number in front of a Formula One car can be offensive to anybody.

"They are all nicely dressed I would think people like Rolex and Heineken wouldn't have girls there who weren't presentable.

"I thought we had forgotten about girls not being able to do guys jobs and girls being able to guys jobs. I thought we were all the same.

"It was all part of the show the girls with the drivers was all part of the pre-show part of the tension."