Fast and furious! Formula 1 grid girls attack feminists for costing them their jobs
FORMULA One’s grid girls raced to protest last night after the sport’s bosses decided to ditch them.
Feminists were in pole position for blame as the models accused them of costing them their jobs in the name of political correctness.
Grid girls, also called Brolly Dollies, have been employed in motor racing for decades, carrying drivers’ nameboards and holding umbrellas to shield them from the heat before races.
They normally earn around £100 a day plus travel expenses, but can also negotiate their own fees privately.
According to Formula One executive Sean Bratches: ‘ The practice of employing grid girls ... clearly is at odds with modern day societal norms.’
But current and former grid girls begged to differ, telling of their pride in their jobs and their anger at the money they will now miss out on.
One, identifying herself as Ivy, wrote on social media: ‘To wake up and find
Formula 1 ditches its grid girls
Yesterday’s Daily Mail that half my work for the year is cancelled because some jumped up “feminist” thinks they can decide what is degrading for ALL women is disappointing and completely counterproductive. We do it by choice, get paid well and treated with respect.’
Lauren- Jade Pope added: ‘ Because of these feminists, they have cost us our jobs! I have been a grid girl for eight years and I have never felt uncomfortable. I love my job, if I didn’t I wouldn’t do it. no one forces us to do this! This is our choice!’
Model Lucy Stokes said: ‘I love my job. I’m respected, paid well and proud to represent the team I’m working for. It’s not right for anyone, let alone “feminists”, to judge our job when frankly they are putting so many women out of work. Where is the equality and empowerment here?’
Sophie Wright posted a photo of herself at the British Touring Car Championships and wrote: ‘ Feminism now costing women their jobs. Wake me up when all this crazy political correctness blows over and pass me the Lycra! I loved being a grid girl.’
Others to protest included promotional model Shauna Talbot, who added the hashtag #SaveOurJobs along with #SavetheWalkOnGirl – a reference to models no longer being employed at Professional Darts Corporation tournaments – as she tweeted: ‘Such a sad and frustrating week for us hard-working girls that just want to do the job we love so much.’