Why F1 stars have lost their mystique

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.

And the modern corporate world, where image rights and contractual terms count for everything, means they all too often have to toe the party line.

But while their out-of-the-car existence may be more watered down, it's what's going on in the car - and the way the sport has developed - that has done more to take away the mystique of the men behind the wheel.

Just look at what happened at the British Grand Prix. The amazing battle between Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso should have been celebrated as one of the most epic duels of recent years. Here were two men showing total commitment, going to the limit and beyond, in as furious and intense a fight as you are ever likely to witness.

Instead, their fight drew a reaction not for being sensational but because of the radio complaints from both men. The moans about breaking track limits, and unfair use of DRS, were a turn-off and instead showed us all that is wrong in a sport increasingly dictated by ever-tighter regulations.

Lauda wants drivers to stand out more © LAT

Three-time world champion Niki Lauda has banged on for weeks now about the need for drivers to stand out more - and he's mentioned regularly that he's tired of the endless radio chatter that's a part of modern F1. And that's not just aimed at drivers like Alonso and Vettel complaining about each other - for the outspoken Austrian thinks that communication from the teams is also killing off the show.

"Even going to the starting grid they need to be briefed about what to do, as it is so complicated," he said.

Just think for a second how bad it looks for drivers when we hear them being told to concede positions, back off to save fuel and tyres, or even where they need to be going quicker.

Perhaps it's time for something a bit radical that would serve to make things more unpredictable (and therefore exciting), and put the drivers firmly back in the drivers' seat. Let's ban pit-to-car radios, for starters.

Teams will rally against the move, citing safety reasons for informing drivers of when car trouble is on the horizon, but it would be fairly simple to engineer a warning light in the cockpit that can be activated to work in such events.

For fans, the change would make the drivers the stars again. No longer able to rely on the stacks of information coming in their ears every second, they would have to manage tactics, fuel use, tyre wear and strategy alone - and cope alone with their great battles, just as Rene Arnoux and Gilles Villeneuve did at Dijon in 1979.

There would be scope to get it wrong - which would be good for the show - but also a certainty that more credit would be heaped on the drivers who got it right. They would be centre-stage again.

F1 needs to ensure that drivers always come first. And right now, radio may be stifling their superstar status.