The former model reveals: The "track girls" in Formula 1 have undergone many sexual harassments
Melinda Messenger, now a TV presenter, was in the 90s part of the outdated procedure, which in 2018 was abolished.
On the many harassments she went through: "Everything was wrong"
Not to be missed
02/05/2022
Monday, 02 May 2022, 12:30 Updated: 12:46
Share on Facebook
Share on WhatsApp
Share on Twitter
Share on Email
Share on general
Comments
Comments
We ticked off: Today's Summary Clip, 2.5 (Sports 1)
Melinda Messenger, a former British model and now a TV presenter, said that during her work as a "track girl" in Formula 1 she went through a long series of sexual harassment.
Since 2008 the organizers of Formula 1 have announced that they are abolishing the outdated procedure with the "grid girls", which served as a kind of "decoration" on a track around the drivers and spectators.
According to Messenger, "everything there was one big mistake."
She used to be a "glamor girl" who modeled and even appeared on the "Sun 3" of the English "Sun", and today Messenger is already 51 years old and looks differently at the past.
"In one of the Formula 1 teams there was a driver's masseuse, and he also offered a massage to the girls of the track," she recalled in an interview with her, "and in my stupid innocence, I said to myself 'oh, what a beauty, massage, it would be really nice now.' So, after it started, I suddenly realized, oh, everything is wrong here.
I was able to extricate myself from this situation.
I did not report this man, I put it behind me. "
More on Walla!
Multi-millionaire: How does the "arena girl" in the UFC earn more than the champion herself?
To the full article
Is also aware of its responsibility.
Messenger (left) (Photo: Reuters)
Melinda Messenger and model Katie Price alongside Formula 1 drivers Ralph Schumager (right) and Damon Hill (Photo: GettyImages, Clive Mason)
According to her, he really was not the only one: "There have been hundreds of such cases. Really. Hundreds! But that's what it is."
She also admits: "I had a full life, with lots of opportunities I created for myself, some of the experiences were good, some less so. It. It was part of the game.
"I just never knew how to take care of myself.
I had no boundaries.
I did not know how to say no.
I did not know how to get out of unpleasant situations.
Today it is of course different.
Today I know how to take care of myself. "
"Track Girls" in Monaco Race, Formula 1 (Photo: GettyImages, Dan Istitene)
It should be noted that today the world of racing has changed the old-fashioned approach, in which beautiful women walk around the track in fancy dress and sometimes provide umbrellas for drivers to protect them from the sun.
In fact, the Formula 1 round has enjoyed a rise in popularity following the successful series on Netflix, and there has been a significant increase in ticket sales for women.
In Australia this year it was reported that 398 of the tickets sold for the race were for women, while in 2019 they were only 24 per cent of sales.
sport
Trash talk
Tags
formula 1