zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
The World Endurance Championship Says Au Revoir To Grid Girls
The World Endurance Championship Says Au Revoir To Grid Girls-December 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:43

Don't expect to see scantily clad women standing next to the cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year. According to , the FIA World Endurance Championship is dropping pretty ladies for pretty ladies' sake from the grid. It's about time.

I've long held that the opportunities to be close to the action (even if it's just to hold an umbrella or a number placard) should be given to whichever fans would , not just the prettiest faces. Yes, some pretty faces are also really into motorsports, but let's give the nerds and dudes a chance!

Look, if Grid Girls — barely dressed women standing next to race cars — are still going to be a…

Grid girls are an outdated relic from the time when women weren't driving the cars, and that's why the whole idea has got to go. It gives off the unfortunate impression that women are an accessory, not a part of the event, which really anymore.

Bernie Ecclestone suggested that the answer to not enough women in Formula One would be to have a…

The WEC is going one farther and ditching the outdated tradition altogether from its events, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"From Silverstone next week, you will see that for any race we will do — no grid girls like in the past," WEC CEO Gérard Neveu told . "For me that is the past. The condition of women is a little bit different now."

driver Anthony Davison was glad to hear of the changes, too. Davison told :

I talk about this with my wife quite a lot, and we both agree it's actually pretty backward.

It's old school to have such a concept as grid girls. Surely the world's moved on? And motor racing should follow quite closely what the rest of the world's doing in that respect.

I think that's a really nice touch, a modern touch as well, from the WEC to take that aspect of racing away. It is a bit sexist.

Welcome to the twenty-first century, WEC. We have delicious cookies.

"The show will start from the grid...but the star at the end is the sportscars and the drivers of the car," Neveu told .

The WEC's awesome cars-as-the-focus grid starts with the 6 Hours of Silverstone next weekend.

Contact the author at .

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
How to Watch Formula 1, Superbikes, and Everything Else in Racing This Weekend, November 19-20
How to Watch Formula 1, Superbikes, and Everything Else in Racing This Weekend, November 19-20
Welcome to the Jalopnik Weekend Motorsports Roundup, where we let you know what’s going on in the world of racing, how to watch this weekend’s Formula 1, NASCAR, and MotoGP racing, and where you can talk about it, all in one convenient place. Where else would you want to...
Dec 15, 2025
Miami vs. Austin: Which Formula 1 Grand Prix Venue Is Better for Fans?
Miami vs. Austin: Which Formula 1 Grand Prix Venue Is Better for Fans?
With the introduction of the this season and the impending in 2023, can truly relate to the title of The 1975’s widely under-appreciated song, “I Like America and America Likes Me.” And as someone who has been to both the at and the — and talked to multiple other...
Dec 15, 2025
Formula E Will Debut Fast-Charging Pit Stops the Same Way F1 Introduced Sprint Races
Formula E Will Debut Fast-Charging Pit Stops the Same Way F1 Introduced Sprint Races
upcoming will bring it into a brand-new era of regulations for both the design of the car and the sport. Called , this era comes with a sharp look for a faster, , and — but questions about how, exactly, the races will be run have lingered, especially as...
Dec 15, 2025
NASCAR’s Garage 56 Le Mans Racer Completes First Test at Virginia International Raceway
NASCAR’s Garage 56 Le Mans Racer Completes First Test at Virginia International Raceway
NASCAR’s was announced back in March of this year, but it still feels like a fever dream. The project revolves around entering a modified version of the Cup Series’ new NextGen stock car into the 2023 , the centennial anniversary edition of the iconic race. Hendrick Motorsports, 14-time NASCAR...
Dec 15, 2025
Haas F1 Team Replaces Mick Schumacher With Nico Hülkenberg
Haas F1 Team Replaces Mick Schumacher With Nico Hülkenberg
Months after every other team on the grid for next year, American F1 team Haas finally announced who’ll be driving for the squad in 2023. And, despite making improvements over the past year, the team has ousted young German driver Mick Schumacher and will replace him with old German...
Dec 15, 2025
Max Verstappen's Mom Is Fighting With Her Son's Teammate Sergio Pérez on Instagram
Max Verstappen's Mom Is Fighting With Her Son's Teammate Sergio Pérez on Instagram
At the conclusion of last weekend’s , to give up his position to teammate . Verstappen, who has already clinched the , wouldn’t have gained much by finishing in sixth place instead of seventh, but Pérez, who is currently seeking every possible point to take second place in the...
Dec 15, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved