FIA Confirms BYD and Geely Talks Over Potential F1 Entry

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of motorsport’s governing authority, backs a Chinese manufacturer as Formula One’s 12th team, but demands a viable proposal with no formal expansion process underway

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayen

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.

Speaking at the New Economy Forum in Madrid, Ben Sulayem reiterated his preference for China to provide F1’s next new entrant. But unlike Cadillac’s arrival in 2026, there is currently no formal process underway to expand the championship again. “The FIA can open the door for a 12th team,” Ben Sulayem said. “But do we need a team? No. We don’t need a team, we need the team.” 

F1 expanded to 11 teams this season with Cadillac, while Audi entered through its takeover of Sauber. The FIA had originally opened an expression-of-interest process in 2023, eventually approving the project that evolved into Cadillac’s entry. 

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. 

“The regulations will not be changed just because of the Chinese manufacturers,” he said. “We cannot do that. The regulations need to remain stable.”

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. 

Ben Sulayem said his response was to ask the company to return with a project capable of satisfying the FIA’s requirements. “Come back with a serious proposal that shows us this is going to work,” he said.

Ben Sulayem believes China is the most attractive market for the next expansion. F1 already has three races in the United States and now an American manufacturer through Cadillac, while China hosts a Grand Prix and has become an increasingly important market for the championship.

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. 

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.