Singapore Grand Prix chiefs defied F1’s ban to bring back gorgeous grid girls
Singapore Grand Prix chiefs once defied Formula One's ban on grid girls by bringing them back to the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Back in 2018, F1 owners Liberty Media banned grid girls at the start of the season as they believed that having them appear at race weekends was not beneficial to the sport's modern image. However, they still appeared in Singapore come September, donning their iconic sarong kebayas as they lined the track ahead of the race.
A spokesperson for the race's title sponsors, Singapore Airlines, explained at the time, via TNP: "Our cabin crew are brand ambassadors for Singapore Airlines and will continue to play an integral role in the F1 2018 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix."
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Explaining the decision to ban them, Sean Bratches stated: "While the practice of employing grid girls has been a staple of F1 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."
The ban was defied elsewhere too, with grid girls also appearing at the Monaco, Austrian and Russian Grand Prix's during the 2018 season.
"We don't believe the practice is appropriate or relevant to F1 and its fans, old and new, across the world," added the then managing director of commercial operations.
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Gird girls have continued to appear at a host of F1 races in the four-and-a-half years since they were banned by Liberty Media.
Fans can expect to see the Singapore Grand Prix gird girls once again this weekend as the calendar heads back to Marina Bay for the 17th race of the season.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen has the opportunity to win his second consecutive Drivers' Championship on Sunday if he outscores Charles Leclerc by 22 points, Sergio Perez by 13 points and George Russell by six points.
The most simple route to glory for the Dutch driver would see him win the race and claim the fastest lap bonus point with Leclerc then placing outside the top seven and Perez outside of the top three.
He can also be crowned world champion this weekend if he fails to pick up the bonus point and Leclerc and Perez finish outside the top eight and top three, respectively.
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