Dutch politician Roy van Aalst has slammed the removal of grid girls from Formula 1 as an example of "female patronizing," calling for organizers to return the models for next season’s Grand Prix in his homeland.
Aalst, a member of the Party for Freedom in the house of representatives, expressed hope that podium girls will take part in next year’s event in Zandvoort as the Dutch Grand Prix returns to the F1 calendar for the first time in 35 years.
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"The decision that the FIA has taken is the umpteenth form of female patronization. Grid girls belong just as much to Formula 1 as the cars,” Aalst said.
"Only a huge idiot can see a beautiful woman as a problem. The rest of the people love it. It is part of motorsport and the PVV wants us to ensure that next year this beautiful tradition will be restored to its former glory!" he added.
Last year, F1 and ruling body the FIA –Federation Internationale de l'Automobile– banned grid girls from every Grand Prix, replacing them with grid kids, in an attempt to modernize the sport.
Formula One bosses dropped the traditional pre-race ceremony, which featured female models accompanying drivers on the grids, saying in a statement the custom was “at odds with modern societal norms.”