F1 'grid girls' under review

Cape Town - Formula One's new owners are looking into whether the sport should continue to use 'grid girls'.

Ross Brawn, F1 managing director of motorsports, said the use of female promotional models is a "delicate topic" which is "under strong review".

"We're trying to respect all parties," Brawn told BBC Radio 5 live.

"There's a lot of people respect the tradition of the grid girls and there's people who feel that it has become a bit dated, so we're addressing that."

Brawn's boss, F1 chief executive officer Chase Carey, said: "What we need to do is get as many points of view as possible and make a decision right for the future of the sport."

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

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