Formula One said on Wednesday (Jan 31) that the practice of having grid girls before races was "clearly at odds with modern day societal norms" and had to be stopped.

A day later, British businessman Bernie Ecclestone, who was for decades the "ringmaster" of F1 before selling to current owners Liberty Media, shot back at the move.

"The country at the moment is getting a bit prudish," he told Britain's Sun newspaper.

When Singapore hosted its first Formula One race in 2008, more than 300 hopefuls vied to be among the 44 grid girls.

In the six years of the SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, the Singtel Grid Girls became a permanent fixture at the world's only night race.

Each year, they were selected through a reality programme to bring fun and glamour to the races with their stylish looks and sporty personalities.

Like grid girls in races in other countries, their role was to indicate the designated spot on the grid to the respective driver before the start of each race.

The practice continued even when Singapore Airlines took over as title sponsor in 2014.

That year, 50 kebaya-clad Singapore Girls were handpicked to line up at the starting grid on race day.

Here is a look at the Singapore Formula One grid girls and those from around the world through the years: