[James]

Teams and drivers for the new season confirmed today.

Ferrari
Sebastian Vettel
Kimi Räikkönen

Force India-Mercedes
Sergio Pérez
Esteban Ocon

Haas-Ferrari
Romain Grosjean
Kevin Magnussen

McLaren-Renault
Stoffel Vandoorne
Fernando Alonso

Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton
Valtteri Bottas

Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer
Daniel Ricciardo
Max Verstappen

Renault
Nico Hülkenberg
Carlos Sainz Jr.

Sauber-Ferrari
Marcus Ericsson
Charles Leclerc

Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda
Pierre Gasly
Brendon Hartley

Williams-Mercedes
Lance Stroll
Sergey Sirotkin

[Niamh.]

It's Kimis year, I can feel it in my bones

[James]

Formula 1: 'Grid girls' will not be used at races this season



'Grid girls' will no longer be used by Formula 1 from the start of the 2018 World Championship season.

Sean Bratches, managing director of commercial operations, said the change would be made "so as to be more in tune with our vision for this great sport".

F1 managing director of motorsports Ross Brawn told BBC Radio 5 live in December that the use of female promotional models was "under review".

The new F1 season begins on 25 March.

"While the practice of employing grid girls has been a staple of Formula 1 grands prix for decades, we feel this custom does not resonate with our brand values and clearly is at odds with modern day societal norms," Bratches added.

"We don't believe the practice is appropriate or relevant to Formula 1 and its fans, old and new, across the world."


Stuart Pringle, managing director of British circuit Silverstone, said: "We wholeheartedly support the decision by F1 to drop the use of grid girls - it is an outdated practice that no longer has a place in sport."

Last week, the Professional Darts Corporation said walk-on girls will no longer be used at events.

The Women's Sport Trust said in a statement: "We strongly encourage sports such as cycling, boxing and UFC to follow darts and Formula 1 and reconsider the use of podium girls, ring girls and octagon girls.

"This is not a matter of feminists versus models, which seems to be the way many people want to portray this story.

"These changes are taking place because global businesses are making a considered choice about how women should be valued and portrayed in their sports in 2018. They deserve significant credit for doing so."

In December, BBC Sport carried out a vote on whether 'grid girls' should be part of Formula 1, with 60% saying that they should be.


The view from the grid girls


Charlotte Gash is a part-time grid girl, who says she is "disgusted" with F1's decision.

"It's upsetting and I'm rather disgusted that F1 have given in to the minority to be politically correct," Gash told BBC Radio 5 live.

"I'm one of the lucky ones that I don't rely on this as a main source of income, but there are girls out there who do.

"I know the grid girls are there to look pretty when they're out on the grid but my role was interacting with the crowd and we were there as an advertisement for the sponsors. We love doing it we don't want it taken away from us."

Caroline Hall is another former gird girl, who now owns an agency providing staff for promotional events.

She told 5 live: "I think it's sad they've taken such extreme measures so quickly. I think they could have looked at ways of bringing the role more into line with modern times instead of scrapping it entirely. They could have looked at making it more equal between the sexes in the role.

"The question is 'what are people offended by? Are they offended by the role, that there is somebody standing there with sponsors over their clothing or is it the fact that it's only women doing it?'"
What did they actually do?

'Grid girls' are models used to conduct certain promotional tasks, usually wearing clothing that bears the name of a sponsor.

Their duties in F1 included holding umbrellas or driver name-boards on the grid and lining the corridor through which the drivers walk on their way to the podium.

Their use has become the subject of debate as social attitudes have changed, and some races have begun to experiment with alternatives, such as using male models instead of female, or children as mascots.

The first race of the season is the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 25 March.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/42890261

[James]

Some cars.

[Niamh.]

I really hope it's a bit more of a competition this year, Mercedes dominating so much is getting boring

[James]

Some people don't like the look of the 'Halo' device but I think we'll get used to it.

[Nicky91]

Max Verstappen will flop i think


i think it is Vettel's comeback year

[TwentyOneThrones]

Originally Posted by James

Some people don't like the look of the 'Halo' device but I think we'll get used to it.

Kinda like the year all the cars had rlly dodgy noses

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Nicky91

Max Verstappen will flop i think


i think it is Vettel's comeback year

Why do you think that? I'm not a big fan of his tbf, I hope Ricciardo out does him this year but Max seems really promising

[Nicky91]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Why do you think that? I'm not a big fan of his tbf, I hope Ricciardo out does him this year but Max seems really promising

idk maybe overconfidence


i personally also find Ricciardo a better driver



Haas F1, not changing anything as for the drivers i guess they were satisfied about last years season

[Nicky91]

Australia: Great win for Vettel, Ferrari also 3rd place with Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes became 2nd


Verstappen became 6th

[Niamh.]

Great result for Ferrari

[Niamh.]

2 out of 2 for Seb

Kimi though

[GiRTh]

Saw that pit change disaster I wonder if the mechanic was OK

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by GiRTh

Saw that pit change disaster I wonder if the mechanic was OK

Broken leg I think

[James]

I read there that it was a double-fracture.

[Niamh.]

There's a video in this link you can actually see his leg break in two

http://www.ladbible.com/entertainmen...s-leg-20180408

[James]

Monaco Grand Prix this weekend.

[Nicky91]

Canada Grand Prix

1. Vettel
2. Bottas
3. Verstappen


champion hamilton only 5th place behind Ricciardo

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Nicky91

Canada Grand Prix

1. Vettel
2. Bottas
3. Verstappen


champion hamilton only 5th place behind Ricciardo

Vettel going ahead of lewis in the Drivers Championship

[Nicky91]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Vettel going ahead of lewis in the Drivers Championship

with only 1 point difference


Max Verstappen 6th with 50 points now

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Nicky91

with only 1 point difference


Max Verstappen 6th with 50 points now

Hopefully just the beginning of him pulling away

[Nicky91]

austrian GP yesterday

1. Verstappen
2. Raikkonen
3. Vettel

[Niamh.]

Great to see Kimi on the Podium and Vettel over taking Lewis in the championship

[Nicky91]

Lewis had engine trouble, so this one time after 33 races in a row in the points, no points for him


Max his 4th GP win now