Susie Wolff: Grid Girls decision 'a step in the right direction'

Former Formula One test driver Susie Wolff believes that the decision from Liberty Media to scrap 'grid girls' is a 'step in the right direction' even though it did not offend her, but believes the sport still has many problems which need to be addressed.

The use of 'grid girls' has become synonymous with Formula One over the years but the decision was made this week to ditch the tradition after accusations that it was sexist and outdated.

Many figures in the sport have criticised the decision, with F1 legend Niki Lauda calling it 'dumb'.

However, Wolff, who is the only woman to have took part in a race weekend when she practiced in the German and British Grand Prix events in 2014, thinks that it was the right decision, even if she was never particularly offended by the tradition.

"In my position as a female within motorsport for over 25 years, the use of 'grid girls' wasn't something that offended me. Neither was it something I saw as one of Formula 1's priorities to change to allow the sport to evolve," Wolff wrote in a piece for BBC Sport.

"The owners of F1 are saying it is not what they want to see as an image representing the sport, and it is not what they want to portray the sport as. 'Grid girls' were a tradition within the sport.

"You can say, on a positive note, that the owners of F1 have made a clear statement with their decision. This is not going to change overnight the lack of female representation in motorsport but could it be a step in the right direction? I believe so."

Wolff retired from racing in 2015 to set up Dare To Be Different - an organisation which is encouraging females to get more involved in motorsport. She is encouraged by the steps forward which have been taken recently.

"I set up the Dare To Be Different organisation to try to promote efforts to make a step-change, to drive female talent," Wolff wrote.

"Let's take the successful women in the sport and make role models out of them to inspire others. Let's get school girls around an F1 show car and allow them to dream. Let's increase the talent pool of girls and women entering the sport.

"The next generation are now in prominent roles within teams and in the management of F1. From my personal experience they are a lot more open to the fact that women are capable of achieving the same things as men in a competitive and performance-based environment.

"I am watching with curiosity and hope. Grid girls are gone, like it or not, but more importantly - what's next on the agenda?"