Has F1 finally made a key fan breakthrough?

A simulator has always been one of a Formula 1 team's most closely guarded secrets. Teams are anxious to protect their in-house developments and technologies so only a handful of people are allowed inside that room. The chance of an F1 fan getting a peek used to be pretty much impossible.

But earlier this month, renowned gaming company Logitech unveiled a radical new eSports competition that will not only let someone from the public in - but the room will become their office.

McLaren is bidding to find the "World's Fastest Gamer". Competitors will be pitted against each other on a host of racing games on different platforms, with a finale at McLaren's Technology Centre this autumn.

The champion will be awarded a one-year contract as a simulator driver and will get to work with engineers at McLaren's factory and at racetracks. "The winner will genuinely be a key part of our team at McLaren," according to McLaren executive director Zak Brown.

It is a remarkable opportunity and one that would have been considered unthinkable a few years ago. But that competition is just the latest in a line of entry points for fans to get an opportunity to get closer to the action and to their sporting heroes.

Many have been priced out of getting close to the action in F1, with VIPs given priority. The Paddock Club hospitality at races is situated in the best position at tracks, giving those who pay a hefty price the best views. It is they who have been given the tours of the paddock, the trips into the garages, the chance to listen into radio communications during a session.

But the doors are starting to open a little wider - and the access that is being given is of a high quality, not just for the sake of it. Mercedes offered fans the chance to be among a handful of people to see its 2017 challenger - the W08 - first when it held its launch.

Meanwhile, Silverstone is currently running a competition to win paddock passes, which are few and far between, for this year's British Grand Prix, with other prizes on offer including Paddock Club hospitality passes and the chance to watch the race from a team garage.

Williams sponsor Martini has gone one step further and teamed up with Airbnb to offer fans the chance to spend the night before the British Grand Prix in the Williams garage. As well as meeting Felipe Massa and deputy team principal Claire Williams, they will get a tour of the garage before being tucked in next to the two FW40s, which will be raced by Massa and Lance Stroll on Sunday.

In the Bernie Ecclestone era, pulling off the concept would have been challenging, if not impossible. But with F1 now under new ownership, the process was smooth, with permission granted relatively quickly.

Williams is an example of a team that consistently looks for new ways to give access. In recent years, it has set up its motorhome at the Autosport International show, as well as bringing a host of cars from its all eras of heritage to display.

And this year, which marks 40 years of Williams, it is holding a free event at Silverstone in the build-up to the British GP, where visitors will be treated to parade laps from iconic cars that have played a key part in the team's history. Williams drivers past and present will also be around to talk about their memories and experiences over the past four decades. Clearly there is demand as organisers had to close registrations after 40,000 tickets were allocated.

Williams also invites fans to watch grand prix race days at the Williams Conference Centre. For £150, you will have a live link-up to one of the drivers and the control room - so you can follow the strategy and how the team reacts to a race unfolding - a VIP guest appearance and a chance to browse the Williams Grand Prix Collection. Several of the teams, including Force India, Red Bull and McLaren, offer the opportunities to tour their factories, allowing an insight into the inner sanctum where the cars are designed, developed and produced.

Even just buying tickets to a grand prix has become clearer and simpler. Liberty Media launched F1 Experiences, providing a one-stop shop to buy tickets and passes safely and securely, as well as other elements for your trip, such as hotels and transfers. If you're willing to pay extra, it offers the opportunity to purchase dedicated tours, attend parties with past and present drivers and, of course, Paddock Club tickets.

But if you want to stick with grandstand tickets, the majority of circuits hold autograph sessions included in the price, offering the chance to meet drivers and team personnel who are usually on the other side of the track and seemingly out of reach.

There are plans afoot to improve the offering so that fans get more for their money once at the circuit. That kicked off in Spain, when Liberty Media introduced a series of new initiatives to boost fan engagement. The Fan Zones were revamped and standardised and now include simulators and pitstop challenges, while fans could enter competitions to win a ride in a two-seater F1 car, Paddock Club passes and photo opportunities with teams.

Discussions are now ongoing regarding rolling out the revamped initiatives with the upcoming venues. The buzz inside the fan areas was clear and pleasing to the race organisers, who claim overall weekend attendance was up by 12,955 on 2016.

As F1 boss Chase Carey said, there were no "transforming events" at Barcelona but an example of what could be done simply by connecting departments and working better together. The expectation is that this is just the beginning.

Aside from the track action, several circuits already host concerts - many of which are included to help ease congestion by spreading the period when fans leave - with some big-name artists signing up.

Last week, Azerbaijan announced Mariah Carey will perform at its event this year. Justin Timberlake will headline the United States Grand Prix, a year after Taylor Swift's performance in 2016 had a direct impact on ticket sales, according to organisers. Those events, as well as several other activities in the pipeline, broaden the appeal of each race weekend and increase the potential for the grand prix to be a family day out.

Away from the track, teams are increasing initiatives to engage fans via social media. Importantly, it's not just any old content but an attempt at providing genuine insight for those who are interested. The relaxation of video restrictions on teams using that platform has been welcomed, while teams having YouTube channels is becoming the norm.

Sponsors are getting in on the act, too, with Red Bull's fuel and lubricant partner ExxonMobil recently using some of its driver time with Max Verstappen to allow fans the chance ask the teenager questions via FaceTime. And drivers are looking to engage more, with Lewis Hamilton having used Instagram to ask fans to design his helmet for this season. He adopted the winning design as well as offering to meet the winner at a race where he would present a full-size signed replica helmet.

As the McLaren simulator gig demonstrate, the chance of finding a way into actually working in F1 has increased. F1 in Schools, a competition that challenges teams of schoolchildren to use computers to design, test and build mini F1 cars, has been running for nearly 20 years.

Several of those who have taken part have ended up working with teams in their engineering and communications departments. There's also the Randstad Williams Engineering Academy, a programme designed to identify young students from around the world and guide them towards a career as an F1 engineer. Infiniti and Renault run a similar scheme.

F1 appears to have made a breakthrough with fans engagement, but as the coverage of Fernando Alonso's first IndyCar test proved, there are plenty more possibilities. Although Alonso's first run at Indianapolis was a private test, arranged by McLaren, Honda and Andretti Autosport as part of the Spaniard's preparations for a maiden Indy 500 tilt, the circuit capitalised on the global interest by live streaming the action.

It was a proper, professional broadcast that involved a studio panel, which included 1978 F1 world champion and Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti, plus in-depth interviews and fly-on-the-wall access that is rarely seen in the world of F1.

The stream was broadcast live on YouTube and Facebook, reaching peaks of more than 70,000 concurrent viewers at times and a combined viewership over two million. It was also one of YouTube's top 10 trending videos of the day. And all this for a test, with one car driving around a circuit.

Granted, this was a unique event. And simply showing more track action isn't going to work. Sky found that out when it tried broadcasting a few hours of pre-season testing in 2013 before deciding to can the idea the following year because the low viewing figures did not justify the cost.

But what it did show is that there is appetite out there for the right content. The more F1 continues to allow the entry door to swing open, the more scope there is to allow better access and to create more videos, podcasts and written features to boost interest and give fans a better all-round experience.

The breakthrough has been made. The challenge now is to build on that - and build in the right way.