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While Formula 1's teams have concentrated their efforts to spice up the show on making the cars look better, there's no escaping the fact that the focus of fans' interest is the drivers. However much we marvel about the cars and the amazing technology in the sport, it's what the men in the cockpits do that really stirs us all.
Over recent weeks, as F1 chiefs continue their self-analysis over why interest in the sport is declining, one issue that seems to be overlooked is that the men in the cockpits have lost a bit of the gladiatorial status of yesteryear.
Part of the reason current stars do not have the mythical standing that Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart and Ayrton Senna had in their heyday can be explained by the way modern society has changed. Social media and the 24-hour internet news culture means anything and everything they do is reported to the nth degree.
