BYD F1 enters the sights of the largest electric vehicle manufacturer on the planet. Mohammed Ben Sulayem has already given the green light. Discover the behind the scenes.
The biggest silent revolution in the history of Formula 1 may not come from an English garage owner or an American tycoon. It comes from Shenzhen, carries solid-state batteries, and already dominates markets that Europe hadn’t even noticed five years ago. BYD, the Chinese giant that sells more electric cars than any other company in the world, is eyeing the top tier of motorsport — and what seems crazy may just be the next chapter in a story of technological domination.
The Price of Glory: Why $500 Million May Not Be the Biggest Obstacle
Entering F1 is expensive. Very expensive. It is estimated that a full season requires investments in the range of $500 million — and that’s before any points are scored. But for BYD, which earned over $100 billion in 2024, the financial challenge is secondary. The real problem lies in institutional resistance.
Established teams — Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, McLaren — have obvious reasons to block newcomers. Each new entry dilutes the prize money pool and may devalue billion-dollar valuations built over decades. The most common strategy is acquisition, but F1 teams are rarely up for sale. When they are, they cost fortunes.
The alternative? Build from scratch. And this is where BYD may have an unexpected advantage. While traditional manufacturers struggle to transition to electrification, the Chinese company was born into this world. Its engineers don’t need to learn how to handle high-density batteries — they invented them.
The Trial by Fire That Already Happened at Nürburgring
In September 2025, the Yangwang U9 Xtreme did something no production electric car had achieved before: breaking the 7-minute barrier at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The time of 6:59.157 is not just a number. It’s a statement of intent.
The technical specs of the prototype are breathtaking:
- Combined power: Over 3,000 HP (around 2,240 kW)
- Powertrain: Four independent electric motors
- Top speed: 472.41 km/h (record from August 2025)
- Architecture: Vector torque control on each wheel
This is not a disguised street car. It is a competition technology laboratory with license plates. And for 2026, F1 has adopted hybrid rules that increase battery capacity — a territory where BYD feels at home.
The Unexpected Ally in the FIA and the Market That Really Matters
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the FIA, made his position clear in an interview with Le Figaro last year. Following Cadillac’s arrival as an American manufacturer, a Chinese automaker would be the “next logical step.” The statement is not empty diplomacy. It is geopolitical strategy.
F1 needs fresh money, audience in emerging markets, and narratives that justify its relevance in the electrification era. BYD offers all three at once. But there is one detail few have noticed: the brand does not sell in the United States — yet.
Punitive tariffs and trade restrictions block BYD’s entry into the largest automotive market in the West. A presence in F1, broadcast to millions of American homes every race weekend, would be a marketing campaign that no advertising budget could buy. It’s the same playbook Toyota used in the 2000s, and Hyundai perfected over the last decade.
The difference is that BYD already has technology that rivals Porsche and Mercedes in terms of electric performance. Its four-motor propulsion system, tested in the Yangwang U9, is more sophisticated than many hybrid solutions currently used in the top category.
Endurance racing, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship, is also on the table. The category has proven to be more receptive to newcomers, especially with the Hypercar category open to production manufacturers. BYD could debut there, prove its durability in extreme conditions, and then move to F1 with established credentials.
What is at stake is not just an entry into a championship. It is the definitive legitimization of Chinese engineering in the pantheon of global motorsport. After decades of being seen as a copier, BYD wants to take a seat at the table where the rules are written. And in F1, the rules are precisely changing toward a world it already dominates.
The remaining question is not if BYD will enter elite motorsport. It is when — and how many European traditions will be forced to reinvent themselves in the process.