Formula E to continue to use ‘Grid Girls’ after taunting Formula One
By Asher Fair
Despite Formula One doing away with the “Grid Girls”, Formula E are set to continue to use them even after taunting Formula One.
Formula E are set to continue using “Grid Girls” after all despite going to “Grid Kids” for last year’s two Montreal ePrix races to close out the season and taunting Formula One when they decided it was time to do away with them ahead of the 2018 season.
When Formula One made the announcement to stop using “Grid Girls”, a decision that was praised by some but scorned as a decision made in the name of political correctness by many other, Formula E, which had previously opted not to use them, taunted Formula One with a “welcome to the 21st century” message.
Here is how a Formula E spokesperson responded to Formula One’s ban on “Grid Girls”, according to Motorsport.com.
"“We’re glad to welcome F1 to the 21st century. Formula E stopped using grid girls last year already, but we just didn’t feel the need to shout about it.”"
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Several days later, Formula One made the announcement that they would be using “Grid Kids” throughout the 2018 season to replace “Grid Girls” like Formula E did last season for the two Montreal ePrix races.
However, in another interesting twist to this racing-related situation that actually has absolutely nothing to do with the on-track product itself, it turns out that Formula E aren’t completely abandoning the use of “Grid Girls”.
Here is what Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag had to say about the matter, according to Motorsport.com.
"“For me, it’s not the most relevant issue today. It should be a non-issue. Sometimes we use kids, sometimes we should use grid girls. They haven’t done anything bad, it’s part of the visual tradition of motorsport. I am not an enemy of the concept of grid girls at all. Formula E will have grid girls. Maybe not in every race, but I think they are part of the tradition of motorsport.”"
To summarize, after poking fun at Formula One for finally doing away with “Grid Girls” and making a spectacle out of their decision, which is something that Formula E didn’t do when they introduced “Grid Kids” at the end of last season and removed “Grid “Girls”, Formula E have announced that they actually are not completely doing away with “Grid Girls”.
Who welcomed who to the 21st century again?
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Will Formula E use “Grid Girls” or “Grid Kids” more often this season? Will they end up, by their own words, being welcomed “to the 21st century” at some point in the near future? Will Formula One stick by their decision to keep “Grid Girls” out of the sport in favor of “Grid Kids”? While all of this has taken place, keep in mind the fact that the Formula E season has only just gotten underway and the Formula One season has not yet even begun.