F1 has become too elitist says former Toyota team principal

Almost half a year after they decided to withdraw, Toyota F1's team principal Tadashi Yamashina has given more insight as to why the Japanese automotive giant pulled out. With the main reason being that the pinnacle of motor sport is too elitist and does not provide proper interaction between the teams and the fans, something that sports car based racing series excel at.

"There is a big gap between Formula 1 and Toyota's actual car users. F1 remains the pinnacle of auto racing, but its image grew too elitist," Yamashima shared with 'Automotive News'.

While further explaining his view point, "At races such as Nurburgring [24 Hours], fans can get right into [the] pitlane, mingle with the teams and touch the cars. They can soak up the atmosphere and feel part of the event."

"By contrast, average fans have no hope of strolling the paddock at an F1 race. For the fortunate few who can afford to do that, it's fine. I think the best kind of races are those in which people can get in close to the race."