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F1 champions react to Monaco return of 'beautiful' grid girls

Formula One drivers have praised Monaco’s decision to bring ‘beautiful’ models back at this weekend’s grand prix, but there’s a twist in the tale.

Liberty Media, the sport’s new owners, banned the use of women on the grid at the beginning of the season.

The company felt the practice was out of date and instead chose to give local children the opportunity to meet their heroes and get involved on race weekends.

But organisers of the Monaco Grand Prix, the most glamorous race on the calendar, have revealed models will appear on the grid as part of a corporate partnership, rather than in the traditional role of ‘grid girls’.

The other change is that male models will feature alongside women.

“I think women are the most beautiful thing in the world so… There’s been races where we’ve had guys standing at the front and a mixture at some races in the past,” Mercedes driver and championship leader Lewis Hamilton said.

“I think Monaco is a very elegant grand prix and I don’t know how women feel about it, I haven’t really ever spoken to them about how they feel about the whole situation. I can’t really comment.

“I don’t particularly feel any way about it. When we pull up to the grid and there’s beautiful women on the grid that’s the Monaco Grand Prix and that’s a lovely thing.

“But I definitely don’t think we should be pushing or supporting these women to feel uncomfortable, and if they are we shouldn’t do it. But if they are comfortable doing it I don’t really have an answer for you otherwise.”

Sebastian Vettel went a step further than his rival, at least in one sense, but he couldn’t resist taking a swipe at Liberty’s change.

Monaco have brought back ‘grid girls’. Pic: Getty
Monaco have brought back ‘grid girls’. Pic: Getty

“I like women, I think they look beautiful. If there was guys, I was just not interested,” the Ferrari driver said.

“Nothing against those guys, I just didn’t care as much. But the bottom line is I think it’s too much of a fuss nowadays.

“I think all of the women that took part as a gird girl in the past did it because they want to so for sure you ask any grid girl on Sunday whether they are happy to stand there their answer will be yes.

“I don’t think there’s anybody who forces them to. It speaks a little bit for our times that sometimes there’s a lot of noise for nothing.”

While many have praised the initiative to get schoolchildren involved, the controversial call to ban models from holding the drivers’ signs was felt to have held back models from earning a livelihood.

Rookie Sauber driver Charles Leclerc had a mixed response, seeing benefits to both sides of the argument.

“I think it was quite positive to have some girls on the grid, to be honest,” he said.

“Even though I have a girlfriend so I should not say that, maybe I will get in trouble.

“But yeah, it’s also good to have some kids. Monaco is very small, so they took also my little cousin that will be on the grid with me.

“So that will be nice, and I’ve seen how happy he was to be chosen as one of the kids – and it’s great to see that. And it’s a great idea to have kids on the grid also.”