If anyone was in any doubt that Beyoncé's star is on the wane, look no further than the outfits she wheeled out at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas this weekend. Braless and unzipped in a spray-on leather Louis Vuitton racing suit, here was flesh-flashing confirmation that the once unassailable celeb has well and truly veered off-track. The vibe was more cut-price role play costume than dominant diva as she joined Lewis Hamilton for a spin in his Ferrari - surely not what he had in mind when he suggested the pair should hang out.

Later, we were 'treated' to another ensemble, as the 44-year-old mother of two posed and postured with her husband Jay-Z, while wearing a red PVC Ferrari-inspired romper. If the inspiration was the discomfort of squeezing into the low-slung race car, then she nailed it. The excruciating piece was cut so low at the neck and so high at the leg that it practically met in the middle. As for those sky-high stripper heels, they were last seen wrapped around a pole on the Vegas strip. Oh Beyoncé, what happened?

You were once so cool, but in the heat of the Vegas sun all that skin-tight leather and PVC gave more sweat and desperation than sizzle. Let's face it, the only explanation for the display in Nevada on Sunday is that the icon's status is flagging – and she knows it. What else explains a cleavage-out thirst for attention more associated with inflated desperado Lauren Sanchez than a record-breaking 35-time Grammy winning songstress? Of course, the body positivity brigade has a slightly different take on things.

Online forums are awash with comments focused firmly on the Carter curves – citing the singer's rounded thighs and 'mom tum' as evidence of a rare breed of uber celebrity happy to shun the Ozempic quick fix. 'One thing I have noticed,' one admirer gushed on Reddit. 'She's not giving into Hollywood's trend with Ozempic.' Perhaps, Queen Bey does deserve credit for remaining a more natural antidote to the hollowed-out look currently haunting the A-list glitterati, intent on recapturing their twenty-something washboard abs, whatever the cost to their faces.

But let's be honest, the Texas Hold 'Em hitmaker isn't keeping it too real. Shortly after the event she posted a series of images on Instagram in which she seemed notably sleeker and tauter than the paparazzi shots from earlier in the day. The irony of the F1 setting shouldn't be lost either. After all, this is the sport that axed its scantily clad 'grid girls' because their inclusion was considered sexist and demeaning in today's more modern, progressive world.

Of course, some will argue that one of the most decorated female artists in music history has nothing to prove - that she can dress how she wants, because it's all rooted in female empowerment, right? Not really. As a role model she should be above displays that make it all about her physical assets. And whatever spin is spun by the fan faithful it reeks of a growing desperation. Yes, the singer's appearance has created a buzz - it couldn't fail to do so - but isn't that what her music used to do?

Instead, there have been mixed reviews for her last album and unsold seats at the accompanying Cowboy Carter Tour - an unthinkable scenario for a performer who was once the hottest ticket in town. Not to mention the over promotion of her 13-year-old daughter Blue Ivy who joined her mother on stage throughout. Yes, it got people talking, but it also smacked of a woman with mounting insecurities throwing more gimmicks into the mix in a bid to cling on to relevance.

And why is this Independent Woman reducing herself to an eye candy appendage of her sullen and somberly dressed husband? Perhaps basking in the full glare of the F1 flash bulbs gave Beyoncé the illusion that she's back in pole position. But she would be wise to put the brakes on the skimpy promo-girl style excesses and remind us of the talent that made her a star in the first place.