FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has opened the door for a 12th team to join the Formula 1 grid, but any candidate, including Chinese automotive giant BYD, must play by the championship's rules. His comments come amid speculation that BYD is considering an entry into the pinnacle of motorsport.
Ben Sulayem revealed that the FIA is ready to launch a new expression of interest process if a manufacturer is serious. "The FIA can open for a 12th team. But 'do we need a team, Mr. President?' No, we don't need a team, we need the team," he said at a forum in Madrid. He added that a Chinese team would be significant, especially since F1 now has three races in the United States and already has Haas as a manufacturer team, but still needs an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer).
Since the first expression of interest process in early 2023, only Cadillac successfully secured a spot as the 11th team starting in 2026. That entry faced resistance from existing teams. Now, with BYD's name surfacing, the FIA is considering adding another team. Ben Sulayem admitted he had met with representatives from BYD and Geely. "I had meetings with them, and they came and said, we need to be in. And one of them was BYD, and one was Geely. And we said, 'OK, we will open the expression of interest if you are coming'," he explained.
However, Ben Sulayem set strict conditions. The regulations will not be altered just to accommodate Chinese manufacturers. "The regulations is not going to be affected only by Chinese [manufacturers]. We cannot do this. The regulations have to stay permanent, and it has to [keep] stability in it," he stressed. He also emphasized that the ultimate goal is a clean environment, and there are many paths to achieve it, including hydrogen, hybrid, electrification for the WRC, and sustainable fuels.
BYD reportedly does not want to acquire an existing team, as Audi did with Sauber. Therefore, if BYD wants to enter, the FIA would need to launch a new expression of interest process. Ben Sulayem invited BYD to make a serious offer. "Why don't you take a team to start withgthat was with BYD? Why should I be secret about it?...and they said, 'no, we want a team ourselves'. [I said] 'Fine. Then come back with a serious offer that we can see that it's going to work'. And this is our regulations. I was very clear with them about the regulation," he stated.
F1 already has a race in China, and the automotive market there is massive. The presence of a Chinese driver like Zhou Guanyu, who raced for Sauber from 2022-2024, shows the growing interest in motorsport in the country. BYD's potential entry would further strengthen China's position on the global motorsport map. However, there is no certainty yet whether BYD will actually submit an offer.
With the 2026 regulations designed to attract manufacturers—through sustainable fuels, partial electrification, and the removal of the MGU-H—F1 has already lured Audi and Honda. Now, the ball is in BYD's court. Will they seize the opportunity? Ben Sulayem has opened the door, but it will only open wide if BYD comes with a convincing offer.
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