- The FIA has opened exploratory talks with BYD and Geely about joining F1, reflecting pressure to capture China’s growing motorsport market and leverage domestic EV and talent strengths.
- BYD highlighted high-performance EV credentials like the Yangwang U9 Xtreme’s 6:59.157 Nürburgring lap and 503.17 km/h top speed, while Geely brings Lynk & Co Cyan Racing’s TCR titles.
- Direct competitors are existing private F1 teams; execution risks include no regulatory changes, BYD rejecting buyouts, timing for a formal entry, and the high cost of establishing a viable new team.
The FIA has held talks with Chinese automakers BYD and Geely about a potential entry into the Formula One World Championship, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has confirmed.
Sulayem said he would prefer to see a Chinese manufacturer join the grid as F1’s 12th team if the championship expands again.
Although the FIA has not formally opened a new entry process, Sulayem stressed that any prospective entrant would need to submit a “serious proposal” demonstrating that it could operate a viable team.
He also drew a clear line on the technical regulations. Despite China’s lead in electric vehicle technology, the FIA will not change F1’s existing rules to accommodate Chinese manufacturers, he said.
Speculation about how BYD might enter F1 has circulated for months. In May, reports suggested that the Chinese automaker was considering acquiring a stake in the Alpine team and taking over Renault’s F1 engine facility in France.
During the recent discussions, Sulayem proposed that BYD could make its debut by acquiring an existing team. BYD rejected the idea, saying it would prefer to establish an independent team of its own.
Both BYD and Geely have developed substantial expertise in high-performance road cars and top-level motorsport, providing a technical foundation for a potential move into F1.
In September 2025, BYD’s Yangwang U9 Xtreme set a 6:59.157 lap time at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, becoming the first production battery-electric car to break the seven-minute barrier.
The U9 Xtreme later set a production-car top-speed record of 503.17 km/h on a public road in Abu Dhabi on November 6, surpassing its own previous record of 496.22 km/h, set at Germany’s ATP testing facility.
Geely, meanwhile, has an established motorsport record through its Lynk & Co Cyan Racing team. The outfit has won multiple teams’ and drivers’ titles in the FIA TCR World Tour in recent years, demonstrating its capabilities in race-car development and team operations.
China’s appeal to F1 extends beyond its automotive technology. The country already hosts a Grand Prix and is becoming an increasingly important market for the championship.
Sulayem sees China’s automotive industry, technical expertise and talent pool of homegrown drivers as making it one of the most attractive candidates for future expansion.
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