News Summary
- FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem revealed talks with BYD and Geely about a potential Formula 1 entry.
- Ben Sulayem reiterated his preference for a Chinese manufacturer if F1 expands beyond its current 11 teams.
- The FIA is not actively seeking another team and will only consider a project that meets its existing regulations.
The FIA has held talks with BYD and Geely over potentially becoming Formula 1’s 12th team, according to president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who says any Chinese manufacturer interested in joining the grid must first present a credible project.
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.
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.
BYD and Geely held talks with FIA
The most significant part of Ben Sulayem’s comments was confirmation that discussions have gone beyond a general ambition to attract a Chinese manufacturer.
He specifically named BYD and Geely.
“I met with other manufacturers, and they came saying they wanted to join,” he said. “One of them was BYD and another was Geely.”
BYD’s interest is not new. The Chinese manufacturer has explored different routes into F1 during 2026 and previously acknowledged that joining the championship was under discussion.
Ben Sulayem said he told the manufacturers that the FIA could open another expression-of-interest process if their intentions became sufficiently serious.
However, he stressed that the technical framework would not be rewritten to accommodate a Chinese entrant, despite China’s position at the forefront of electric-vehicle technology.
“The regulations will not be changed just because of the Chinese manufacturers,” he said. “We cannot do that. The regulations need to remain stable.”
That position is particularly relevant as F1 evaluates the direction of its future power-unit regulations beyond the current generation introduced in 2026.
FIA tells BYD to return with “serious proposal”
Ben Sulayem also revealed that he discussed the possibility of BYD acquiring an existing operation rather than creating a new team from scratch.
He said BYD rejected that approach during their discussions and expressed a preference for its own operation.
“I said, ‘Why don’t you take over a team to start with?’ That was with BYD — why would I hide it? And they said, ‘No, we want to have our own team.'”
BYD has previously been linked with several potential routes onto the grid, although its executives have also cautioned that there is no concrete Formula 1 project in place yet.
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.
The FIA president stressed that any Chinese bid would have to go through the same regulatory process as other prospective entrants.
“We have a race in China. It’s huge. We have the manufacturers, we also had a Chinese driver, and Chinese technology is there,” he said.
“But everything has to be done on our terms and according to our regulations, which are fair to everyone. Because that is also the FIA’s responsibility.”
FAQ
Could Formula 1 have a 12th team?
Yes. The FIA has left the door open to another expansion after Cadillac became F1’s 11th team in 2026, but no new expression-of-interest process has been announced.
Are BYD and Geely interested in joining F1?
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says he has held discussions with both Chinese manufacturers. BYD has previously publicly acknowledged its interest in Formula 1, but neither company has a confirmed entry.
Why does the FIA want a Chinese F1 team?
Ben Sulayem believes China represents an important opportunity for F1 because of the country’s automotive industry, technology sector and existing Grand Prix. He has repeatedly indicated that a Chinese manufacturer would be his preferred candidate if the grid expands again.
