F1 on right track with ‘Grid Kids’

good,” said Brown, a marketing expert before becoming McLaren’s executive director.

He said the two announcements should have been made at the same time.

“I am a big baseball fan and I was a batboy once for a game,” he said at the McLaren factory near London.

“The attention I got in school, the buildup and the excitement and the kids talking about it, was just an awesome experience that got shared within the whole class. Everybody was saying, ‘Zak’s going to be the batboy, go watch on TV’.

“So I think having Grid Kids is going to create that same excitement, energy, something to talk about among younger fans. I think it’s a really good idea.”

Brown said he had previously given little thought to the use of models, with the starting grid a high-pressure hive of activity before races.

“Did they need to change it? I think there’s a lot of things that need to change in Formula One,” he said of the sport’s owners, Liberty Media. “Going after a younger audience is certainly something they need to do.”

The American said there might be an impact on race sponsors, who might have used uniformed models, but they could be compensated.

“Let’s say it was a Heineken-sponsored grand prix, you’re not going to want to have a kid in Heineken-branded clothing,” he said.

“But I think the level of exposure it created can be replaced. So if I’m Formula One I’d say fair enough, we’ll give you more signage.

“I think that one’s easy way to navigate from a sponsor standpoint.”

Did they need to change it? I think there’s a lot of things that need to change in Formula One.” Zak Brown, McLaren boss