The Formula 1 Thread 🏎

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#1

So I know I am one of a few faithful, that still watch the sport. Will see if there is enough activity for me to keep this thread going.

The 2018 entry list has been released… only 2 rookies this year.

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No more Grid Girls for F1 - and Formula E mocks F1 for doing it a year after they did.

A year after Formula E dropped grid girls F1 has followed suit and the all-electric series is revelling in its role as trend-setter.

“We are glad to welcome F1 to the 21st century,” said a spokesman for Formula E according to Reuters.

“Formula E stopped using grid girls last year already but we just didn’t feel the need to shout about it,” they added.

Indeed, the electric series has adopted the practice of “grid kids”, whereby youngsters hoping to make it into the sport perform the relevant duties and functions.

“It’s a great and emotional experience for these kids to be on the starting grid, next to the drivers and cars that they might drive one day,” said the Formula E spokesman, “so hopefully it also works as a good motivation for them.”

Meanwhile the furore over F1’s decision continues, with Bernie Ecclestone against the move.

“I can’t see how a good-looking girl standing with a driver and a number in front of a Formula One car can be offensive to anybody,” he told the Sun.

“They are all nicely dressed,” added the former F1 supremo, who met his former wife Slavica when she was a grid girl at Monza. “I would think people like Rolex and Heineken wouldn’t have girls there who weren’t presentable.”

“Where is this leading?” moaned Niki Lauda to Austria’s Der Standard newspaper. “If you follow through like this, you soon won’t have any cheerleaders anymore in the U.S.”
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Races will start 10mins past the hour . . . .

As expected, ahead of the new season F1 has announced changes to the race start and session times.

From Melbourne all races will start at ten minutes past the hour, Formula One Management reasoning that: “Some broadcasters usually go on air precisely on the hour, hence missing the tension and emotion that characterize the minutes before the start of each Grand Prix. Thanks to this change, television viewers will be brought closer to the teams and the drivers and fully enjoy the spectacle offered just before the red lights go out.”

An additional change sees all sessions at the European rounds and in Brazil, start an hour later than usual. Again, FOM argues: “Research has indicated that a wider TV audience is reachable later in the afternoons, especially in the summer months. Consequently, it has been decided to move the schedule of every session back by one hour across the whole weekend for each of the above-mentioned Grands Prix.”

“Other minor adjustments have been made in order to avoid clashes with other major sports events like the FIFA World Cup,” added FOM, “to allow for differing sunset times, and to attract a wider attendance to promoters’ events.”

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Most Epic Win Turns 2 Today
Formula E for Dummies
#2

The removal of the grid girls is a non issue for me. I think having kids on the grid with the aspiration of also becoming race drivers is a great idea.

As for Formula E, the silent racing is very weird to watch. They should perhaps think of allowing fake sounds to be pumped out via speakers, then the team can choose if they want a screaming V10 sound, a roaring V8, etc. Might be cool.

#3

Ja, grid girls are a relic of the past, good riddance, imo. It might just be the 3 of us in this thread ever, but I’ll contribute regularly, @Wyvern!

#4

Or Podracer Engine sounds!

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#5

I would support that, loose the V8 and bring in something different

#6

I’ll be here as well. I am a fan as well.

At least I got to watch the Melbourne GP last year live!! I almost got run over by Vettel. I was indeed one of those yahoos that ran onto the road before the winners were in the pits.

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#7

I’m so jealous, that sounds amazing

#8

Yea we do not speak of that day @DieGrootHammer…

I am still waiting for my Vettel Merch :stuck_out_tongue:

As for the grid girl issue. They never bothered me, They had more clothing on than most models on a fashion run way… I did like this reaction from the girls themselves who are proud of what they did and how it got them interested in motor racing and a foot in the door to the sport - something we all know all to well is bloody difficult to achieve.

#9

https://www.facebook.com/MercedesAMGF1/videos/10155277457942411/

#10
#11

If I read about a single female racing driver, engineer, or team manager that stared as a grid girl, I’ll believe that argument. For now, it feels like it’s just having a say for having a say’s sake. We desperately need more female representation in the sport, but I sincerely doubt that having grid girls around helps in any way, shape, or form.

#12

In part of her post, Westby wrote:

I wasn’t going to get involved in this whole ban of grid girls debate as I felt all the girls were handling it great but recently seen some comments which really have got my blood boiling like ‘ they have no purpose, intelligence, or even knowledge of cars / racing ‘ and ‘ about time they got a proper job’ First of all the majority of the girls working on the grid have a very strong interest in racing and like myself got involved in pit duties where possible and even used my time at race events to learn and better my knowledge of cars and racing ! Also most girls do this work as extra money when again like myself already had a very good full time job and or at uni studying . Most these girls are far form just a pretty face ! People have forgot the saying don’t judge a book by its cover . The most important point I’d like to get scross is in fact that if it wasn’t for grid work / promotional modeling I wouldn’t be where I am now in a ‘males dominated ‘ sport / job as a Stunt Driver / Drift Competition Driver inspiring and influencing females into this ‘ intimidating male environment ‘ I get girls message me all the time saying how I inspire them and made them want to try get into racing / drifting when they didn’t want to before thinking girls wouldn’t be accepted as much.”
source

#13

Well played, young lady. :grin: I’m still not completely convinced that dropping grid girls is a bad thing, but seeing someone at least using that avenue as a way into the sport does provide food for thought.

#14

I have to be honest, if the girls themselves petitioned to not do the work, I would be behind them 100%. But since this is just another case of the masses speaking for a small minority, it pisses me off. In Austin Texas, for that race where they use the Dallas cheerleaders - yes those girls get chosen on how they look, but they actually are athletes who work bloody hard to get that job, they do the work to pay for college and all kinds of things.

We are living in an age of the millennial - and I want to slap them all silly. kids are being diagnosed with all kinds of issues and put on drugs because being hyperactive is now a bad thing. I am honestly tired of it.

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#15

I’m not sure what this has to do with grid girls… Is everything alright at home? :stuck_out_tongue:

I get what you’re saying though. I would disagree with the analogy with cheerleaders. Imo, that’s much more akin to being a dancer (choreography and a routine enters into play) whereas being a grid girl is closer to being a model. Again, . All I can say for sure is that I, for one, certainly won’t miss them being on the grid.

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#16

Count me in as well! Been watching F1 since the early 90’s. Was a huge Senna fan back in the day, still support McLaren to this day. That’s an exercise in patience and dedication, I can tell you…

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#17

Agreed, people are so desperate to promote PC that they don’t even stop to ask the people affected what they think. It’s getting so bad now. We don’t even ask if someone is ok, we instead say we are offended for you and will fight the battle for you. Sure we need to promote equality in the sport, most of the teams are dominated by men, but shouldn’t we be finding a solution there instead of banning the grid girls and making the event more of a mans day.

Personally I would rather see the rule change to only allowing grid girls who are members of the team in either the pit crew, mechanics or behind the computers and then saying she works in our team and is proud to hold Hamiltons number up high.

Side topic here but it adds to my point about grid girls.
In Australia they have banned men from joining the military because only 12% of their force is female. The feminists are so desperate to enforce “equality” that they have banned men from joining the armed forces to try most the female count but they are ignoring the fact that most woman don’t want to fight. This is also a country that is pushing out male teachers labelling them as sexual predators and telling male swimming teachers to ask permission before touching a child who may be drowning. We are so desperate to promote PC that we are pushing men into the shadows.

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#18

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#19

As if we would get the F1 back

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#20

i wont be watching f1 this year onwards its too farcical imo, first the logo change, gridgirls, shitty looking halo devices, aholes like lewis etc. i just cant, the things that made f1 has all been taken away, i’ll go back to watching moto gp and maybe wrc again