F1’s decision to do away with grid girls has received a massive backlash from the girls who took part in the previous races. Jo Polley, a former grid girl and a race driver said: 'Does one role make me a feminist and one not? The world has gone PC mad Lycra does not define the girl #gridgirls.'

International model and ex-grid girl Isabelle Worlock took to Twitter to express her anger at the decision. She said: 'I am more than a little upset about the decision to stop F1 grid girls. Here are some memories during my time as a grid girl in Monaco Monte-Carlo that I will cherish forever.'

Lauren Jade Pope was furious that feminists are driving women out of jobs they love. She said: 'Get me on @thismorning so I can defend us #gridgirls. Because of these feminists, they’ve cost us our jobs! I have been a grid girl for 8 years and I have never felt uncomfortable! I love my job. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t do it! No one forces us to do this! This is our choice!'

Nancy van Short, a manager at an agency that sends models to racing events wondered where this kind of restrictions will lead to. She said: 'I wonder where this is going. Will women no longer be allowed to walk the red carpet in a nice dress? As a woman don’t you wear hotpants anymore? Should beautiful women be ashamed of being beautiful? Do we all have to be dressed up as a nun? Or are we not allowed to enter the street anymore?'