During the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li held a series of strategic meetings with some of the most influential figures in Formula 1 and the FIA. Specifically, she met with Formula One Management President and CEO Stefano Domenicali on Friday, followed by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem on Saturday.
These discussions represent a concrete step in BYD’s exploration of a potential future involvement in Formula 1, further underlining the commitment of the world’s third-largest car manufacturer to evaluating opportunities in top-level motorsport.
Why Formula 1 appeals to BYD
As revealed by PlanetF1, Stella Li clearly outlined the reasons why Formula 1 is an attractive platform for the Chinese automotive giant.
“I think F1 is pure energy, the emotional connection with people, and then there is the culture,” she said, highlighting both the championship’s passionate global fanbase and the unique culture that surrounds the sport.
She also emphasized BYD’s position as a technological powerhouse and the opportunities Formula 1 could offer in that area.
“For BYD, we are a technology leader,” she stated.
Li went on to explain the company’s main objectives. “We are looking for any opportunity to see whether BYD technology can help the FIA, can help all the other teams,” she said, suggesting that the company would be interested in contributing its technological expertise to the sport.
Brand visibility is also a key consideration.
“Second ambition, as BYD, we also need to build a brand here. So that is the scope,” she added.
Several options under consideration
BYD appears to be evaluating every possible route into Formula 1 rather than focusing exclusively on creating a brand-new team from scratch. Among the possibilities being discussed are the acquisition of an existing team or the purchase of a significant stake in a current competitor, with teams such as Alpine reportedly among the names linked to speculation.
However, Stella Li did not indicate any preferred path, instead confirming that BYD remains open to whichever solution could prove most effective.
Speaking about Christian Horner, with whom she has already held discussions in Cannes, Li was full of praise.
“Yes, he is a great guy, a good friend, we like him,” she said.
She also smiled while recalling photographs taken together during the Build Your Dreams event held alongside the Monaco E-Prix. Nevertheless, the potentially lengthy timeline associated with any Formula 1 entry raises questions about whether the British manager would still be available should BYD eventually decide to move forward.
Regulatory and technological challenges
BYD’s ambitions are closely tied to new-energy vehicles, including hybrid and electric technologies. That focus could eventually collide with the FIA’s current long-term direction, which appears to favour a simpler power unit formula featuring a return to V8 engines with a reduced electrical component from 2031 onwards.
Although BYD stopped producing traditional internal-combustion-only vehicles around five years ago, Li indicated that the company remains open-minded regarding future regulations.
“They haven’t changed anything, so that’s why we’re just trying to understand what they are doing,” she explained.
She also highlighted that BYD’s expertise extends far beyond electrification alone: “It’s not only that, that’s just one part. The thing is, even if you want to use a combustion engine, you need the best materials science, and BYD is very strong in that area.”
According to Li, the discussions with both Stefano Domenicali and Mohammed Ben Sulayem were constructive and focused heavily on the future direction of technology within motorsport: “This is very interesting because they are also exploring the future, technology, and they understand what BYD has,” she said.
“I believe that for us, we are trying to understand what their interests are and how they can work together with BYD. This is a kind of mutual interest, together.”
What happens next?
The talks are expected to continue in the coming months, although there is currently no indication that Formula 1 is preparing to launch a new Expression of Interest process for a twelfth team.
Interestingly, BYD is not currently exploring an entry into Formula E, despite the all-electric championship appearing more closely aligned with its corporate philosophy. Instead, the company’s focus remains firmly on Formula 1 because of the series’ unmatched global exposure and the technological opportunities it can provide.
Overall, BYD’s interest is viewed as credible thanks to the company’s enormous manufacturing scale, financial strength and technological expertise. At the same time, some observers point to its lack of motorsport experience and the considerable time and investment that would be required to build a competitive Formula 1 operation.
Even so, the meetings held in Monaco have strengthened the perception that the Chinese giant is seriously evaluating a future role in Formula 1, whether as a team owner, strategic investor or technology partner.
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