BYD and Geely Have Approached the FIA About Joining Formula 1

BYD and Geely have both approached the FIA about entering Formula 1, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said at the New Economy Forum in Madrid, Electrek reported, citing Grande Prêmio. There is no open process for a 12th team, and neither company has a deal.

"One of them was BYD and another was Geely," Ben Sulayem said of the manufacturers that have reached out. He said he suggested that BYD buy an existing team instead of starting a new one. BYD was not interested in that route and wants its own team, so he told the company to come back with a "serious proposal" that shows the project can work.

He also said Chinese manufacturers would not get special treatment. Any bid would go through the same process as other prospective entrants, and the rules would not be rewritten to suit them. The FIA, he said, is not actively looking for a 12th team. He still repeated that he would like F1's next newcomer to come from China, pointing to the country's EV technology and the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.

A year of talk, and no bid

Electrek noted that BYD has been circling Formula 1 all year. In March it was exploring an entry either by buying a team or building one from scratch. In April, executive vice president Stella Li said BYD had met F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali in Shanghai and that an entry was "something we're discussing." By July the tone had cooled. Li said "the dream is always there, but we don't have a concrete agenda," and special advisor Alfredo Altavilla set a condition: "We will never participate in Formula 1 just to put a sticker on the side of a car." Altavilla said BYD would consider F1 only to the extent its technology can serve the sport.

Geely is the newer name in the conversation. Electrek said the group sold 3.02 million vehicles last year and owns Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus, a brand with a long Formula 1 history. It is also heading into Canada next year. The last newcomer, Cadillac, came through an expression-of-interest process the FIA opened in 2023 and joined this season as the 11th team, running Ferrari power until its own unit arrives. Audi entered by taking over Sauber.

The engine problem

The 2026 Formula 1 power units split output roughly 50/50 between the combustion engine and electric power, with the MGU-K at 350 kW. The FIA has already agreed to shift that split to 60-40 in favor of combustion for 2027 and 2028. Ben Sulayem has been pushing for V8 engines running on sustainable fuel with "minor electrification" for the next rules cycle, starting in 2031 at the latest, possibly 2030. Domenicali has said F1 should have a package ready to discuss by the end of this year.

That is the awkward part for an EV maker. Altavilla was clear that BYD does not want to slap a logo on a car; it wants the sport to showcase its technology, which is batteries and electric drive. The FIA's direction is toward a larger combustion share and, later, V8s with only minor electrification. Ben Sulayem's comments confirm interest. They do not, on Electrek's reporting, confirm an entry, a bid, or a process to evaluate one.