The Chinese electric giant has begun initial discussions regarding a possible entry into the World Championship.
The Chinese powerhouse BYD has explicitly confirmed its interest in a potential entry into Formula 1. The most direct comments came from Stella Li, vice president of the brand, interviewed exclusively during the Beijing Auto Show — an event that showcased the full strength of the Chinese automotive industry, with hundreds of new models presented.
Stella Li spoke enthusiastically about a meeting held in Shanghai with Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1.
“We met Stefano Domenicali in Shanghai. We are always close and in contact,” she said, highlighting how communication between the two sides has become frequent and constructive.
The executive expressed great admiration for the sport, describing it as a world driven by deep passion, motorsport culture, and dreams that lead many people to imagine competing at the highest level one day.
“I like F1 because it is passion, culture, and people dream of being in Formula 1,” she added firmly.
When asked whether entering the championship represents a real and concrete possibility, Stella Li gave a clear answer in the affirmative.
“Yes, it is something we are discussing,” she confirmed, officially opening a new chapter in the global ambitions of the Shenzhen-based company.
The vice president also stressed that participating in the championship could become an important opportunity to test and further develop the group’s advanced technologies, as BYD currently leads the global electric vehicle market.
“It is a concrete possibility to test our technology,” she explained, underlining the strategic value that involvement in Formula 1 could bring in terms of innovation and technology transfer to road cars.
Possible paths
The ways in which BYD could realise this project are still to be defined in detail, but several options are currently being considered.
These include acquiring or creating its own team, becoming a power unit supplier for existing teams, or taking on the role of main global partner of Formula 1 itself.
These are all options that would require significant investment, but the Chinese group, despite being relatively young compared to traditional European manufacturers, has both the financial resources and the technical capabilities to seriously evaluate such a step.
Supporting this scenario is also the backing expressed by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who has repeatedly stated his desire to expand the grid to up to 12 teams.
The stated goal is to include at least one American team and one Chinese team, opening the championship to new markets and industrial players.
BYD’s ambitions
Although BYD has only emerged strongly in recent years, it already possesses a solid technological and financial base that makes this step into top-level motorsport entirely plausible.
The interest is driven not only by global visibility, but also by the opportunity to accelerate the development of electrified and hybrid solutions that could later be transferred into road cars for customers.
At present, no precise timelines or next steps in the discussions have been announced, but talks are ongoing in a concrete and continuous manner.
The Beijing Auto Show provided the perfect stage for these ambitions to surface, confirming that BYD is increasingly looking at Formula 1 not just as an advertising platform, but as a high-level technological laboratory.
Stella Li’s statements therefore mark a significant step forward, transforming previous rumours into an official and active interest from one of the most important players in the global electric automotive industry.
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