In a statement released on Wednesday, Sean Bratches, the managing director of F1, said the "custom does not resonate with our brand values."Follow @cnnsportThe new season begins on March 25, with the first grand prix being held in Melbourne, Australia."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," Bratches said.READ: Copenhagen GP plan "excites" F1 boss"Grid girls" are generally used to promote brands and sponsorship deals, while they are also occasionally used during the presentation of trophies on the podium."While the practice of employing grid girls has been a staple of Formula One for decades, we feel this custom does not resonate with our brand values and clearly is at odds with modern day societal norms," Bratches continued. "We don't believe the practice is appropriate or relevant to Formula 1 and its fans, old and new, across the world."The decision comes four days after the Professional Darts Corporation also announced it would no longer be using "walk-on girls" to accompany men onto the stage.
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