BYD Eyes F1 Entry With Bid for Alpine Team Stake

Takeaways by AI

BYD is negotiating to buy a 24% stake in Alpine and likely take over its F1 grid seat.
BYD seeks Renault’s Viry-Châtillon engine plant to secure powertrain and technical capabilities for F1.
A successful F1 entry would reposition BYD as a premium technology brand and China’s first direct F1 entrant.

BYD joins bidding for Alpine F1 team stake. It plans to buy 24 percent holding held by private equity firm Otro Capital, according to UOL. It also eyes Renault’s F1 engine plant in Viry-Châtillon.

Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali and BYD executive vice president Stella Li confirm the talks. BYD negotiates to form its own F1 team. It likely takes over Alpine’s grid seat. It seeks to acquire Renault’s engine manufacturing facility.

A pink and blue Formula 1 racing car driving on a track in Miami, with a blurred background of another car and event signage. — Alpine F1 car

The move does not come out of nowhere.Bloomberg revealed in March that BYD evaluates entry into F1 and the World Endurance Championship.It prioritizes acquisition of existing teams. The core goal is to lift brand recognition in premium European and U.S. markets.

Alpine operates as Renault’s factory F1 team. Renault ended in-house F1 engine development last year. The team switches to Mercedes power units from 2026 season.

The 24 percent Alpine stake draws multiple suitors. Mercedes and a consortium led by former Red Bull principal Christian Horner also hold talks. Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore steps down at the end of 2026. He holds no decision-making power over the stake sale.

Mercedes’ bid faces opposition from McLaren CEO Zak Brown. He argues common ownership of multiple teams harms competitive fairness. The FIA has publicly welcomed Chinese automakers into F1.

BYD brings existing motorsport credentials to the table. It has already notched multiple high-performance achievements.

Yangwang U9 Xtreme set Nürburgring Nordschleife production EV lap record of 6:59.157 on September 20, 2025. It became the first production EV to break the seven-minute barrier. It also set global production car top speed record of 496.22 km/h, outperforming Bugatti and Koenigsegg. BYD invests 5B RMB ($725M) to build global professional racing circuits. Tracks in Hefei and Zhengzhou already operate.

A racing car, the U9 Xtreme, speeds along a track, showcasing a lap time of 6:59.157. The background features a blurred racetrack and green grass. — The Yangwang U9 Xtreme achieved a lap time of 6 minutes 59 seconds 157 in its first test at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

BYD sold 4.6 million vehicles in 2025 to claim global NEV sales crown. Overseas sales exceeded 1 million units. The company still faces dual bottlenecks: squeezed domestic profit margins and a value-for-money label overseas. Premium brand recognition remains insufficient.

F1 raises electrification to 50 percent from 2026. This aligns perfectly with BYD’s core powertrain strengths. The move represents a critical step from volume leader to technology brand.

A successful F1 entry puts BYD on the same grid as McLaren and Mercedes. It helps shed the “affordable EV” image. It elevates premium positioning for BYD and its sub-brands Yangwang, Denza. It provides technical, design and marketing support for high-end models. It also advances BYD’s motorsport development.

Most importantly, BYD would become China’s first direct F1 entrant. It goes head-to-head with established European and American manufacturers.