Thursday 1 February 2018 11:22, UK
Formula 1's decision to scrap grid girls has split opinion - but returned the sport to the frontpages.
F1's new owners, Liberty Media, have announced that walk-on models will no longer be used after determining the long-standing practice is "clearly at odds with modern-day societal norms".
The decision to abandon the concept from 2018 has been welcomed by the UK's Women's Sport Trust, who tweeted: "Thank you @F1 for deciding to stop using grid girls. Another sport making a clear choice about what they want to stand for."
But it has also drawn widespread criticism with the #GridGirls hashtag trending on twitter and The Sun devoting their frontpage to scathing condemnation.
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The newspaper also quoted former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone saying: "I can't see how a good-looking girl standing with a driver and a number in front of a Formula One car can be offensive to anybody."
As debate continued to rage on social media, former grid girl Rebecca Cooper told her followers:
And before appearing on Sky News to debate the issue, Alice Powell, the first female driver to score points in GP3, posted:
Which side of the argument is in the majority?
While the result is by no means a landslide, almost 70% of the respondents to the Sky Sports poll on the issue have supported Formula 1's decision to scrap grid girls.
The Times newspaper described the change of approach as 'only a matter of time in the #MeToo era', highlighting the 'cultural revolution' sweeping through sport.
The Independent, meanwhile, has called on boxing to "follow F1 and get ride of scantily clad girls''.
Sky F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham also welcomed the decision, describing it as a 'watershed' moment.
The sport has yet to confirm how grid girls will be replaced when the season starts with the Australian GP on March 25.
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