Formula One has ended the practice of using scantily clad “grid girls” before races, the sport’s organisers Liberty Media said on Wednesday.

They said the practice of having the women milling about in the grid area before races was “clearly at odds with modern day societal norms”.

The game of darts took a similar decision this month, banning the women who walk into the arena with the players before matches.

“Over the last year we have looked at a number of areas which we felt needed updating so as to be more in tune with our vision for this great sport,” said Sean Bratches, Managing Director, Commercial Operations at Formula 1.

“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 said the practice was not “appropriate or relevant to Formula 1 and its fans, old and new, across the world”.

F1 has experimented with changes in its presentation in previous years.

At the 2015 Monaco Grand Prix, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel was less than impressed with the decision to employ “grid boys” instead of women.

“Why didn’t we have any grid girls today?” said the German. “What was that? You get there and park behind George or Dave. What’s the point?”

Image of women in sport

The decision by F1 bosses to axe the grid girls, one of the sport’s long-standing pre-race traditions, is expected to bring similar pressure onto organisers of boxing and motorcycling who routinely use attractive women in event promotions.

The treatment and media image of women in sport has been drawn into sharp focus after the momentum sparked by the #MeToo campaign which has highlighted allegations of sexual misconduct in the world of entertainment and politics.

However, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said Wednesday he will not remove ring card girls from his fights.

“The ring card girls have been a part of boxing history for many, many years. As far as I am aware, darts will still have dancers on stage performing, but the walk-on girls were not really necessary,” Hearn told GQ magazine.

“From a boxing point of view, we want to keep the traditions of the sport going and in my opinion it has nothing to do with sexism or feminism. It is just a part of boxing and until we are told otherwise.”

Women’s groups, however, backed the F1 decision.

Some drivers preferred to concentrate on the positive side of the F1 announcement on Wednesday. Here’s what the world of F1 had to say on the issue

The response to this was largely positive on social media

While many people, including several women who have worked as grid girls, criticised the move

The new Formula One season begins on March 25 with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

With AFP inputs