File this under things nobody saw coming. We are barely out of the Formula 1 season opener in Australia and already reports are hinting that Chinese carmaker BYD is contemplating an entry into motorsports premier racing series in a bid to boost its global appeal. The report by Bloomberg cited people familiar with the matter,
File this under things nobody saw coming. We are barely out of the Formula 1 season opener in Australia and already reports are hinting that Chinese carmaker BYD is contemplating an entry into motorsports premier racing series in a bid to boost its global appeal.
The report by Bloomberg cited people familiar with the matter, stating that the carmaker is looking into several genres of motorsports as racing transitions towards hybrid engines. Apart from F1, BYD are considering the World Endurance Championship, of which the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans is a part of. The move could include building its own team or even acquiring an existing one.
Like all forms of racing, the biggest hurdle would be cost. F1 is renowned for its elitist participation and just having the money alone is not enough to secure a spot on the grid. The newest team on the roster, Cadillac F1, took years of negotiations to finally be allowed entry.
Building a team from scratch, developing a car and paying the entry fees could cost as much as USD 500 million a season.
Motorsports involvement by Chinese carmakers are still few and far between, especially considering the elite tier of racing is dominated by European and American outfits. Nio did win the inaugural driver’s title in Formula E back in 2015 while Geely hit the track with Cyan Racing and a Lynk & Co 03 car before switching to the new Geely Preface TCR for the 2026 FIA TCR World Tour.
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BYD recently dethroned Tesla as the world’s best-selling EV brand, courtesy of its aggressive push into Latin American, European and Asian markets. Only US tariffs are preventing it from taking on another major auto market.
While having made its name with entry-level and mid-range electric or hybrid vehicles, BYD is attempting a push into the luxury segment. It is off to a good start as its YangWang U9 Xtreme is officially the fastest car on earth with a verified top speed of 496.22 kph.
F1 is experiencing a popularity resurgence in China, fuelled by a combination of its return to Shanghai in 2024 following a five-year hiatus, Zhou Guanyu became the first Chinese F1 driver in 2022 and Netflix’s Drive To Survive series. In fact, the second race of the 2026 calendar after Australia is the Chinese Grand Prix this coming weekend.
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The FIA have been vocal about welcoming Chinese participation. Its president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, stated that a Chinese manufacturer is the next logical step following Cadillac’s entry.
As mentioned before, entry is not as simple as throwing money and showing up. Existing F1 teams are notoriously resistant to new teams as it dilutes the prize money and team valuations.
The alternative is buying an existing team. This is what Audi did, acquiring the previous Sauber team as its works team. Even former champions Red Bull purchased what was previously Jaguar Racing Formula One in 2004.
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There is currently a stake for sale in Alpine Racing. Another potential opportunity could be Aston Martin. After some promising performance over the past few years, the team underwent a devastating start to the 2026 season with underperforming power units and reliability issues stemming from harsh vibrations.
Alternatively, a technical partnership with an existing team could lay the foundations for a path to F1 for BYD. Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) became the Official Technical Partner of the Haas F1 Team, bringing technical resources and manufacturing capabilities while the team continues to run Ferrari powertrains.
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Current F1 regulations have increased the electrical component of the hybrid powertrain, contributing up to 50% with a 300% increase in electric power to 350 kW over 2025 rules. As the world’s second largest EV battery manufacturer, BYD’s battery expertise would be welcomed as a technical partner.
Nonetheless, we are years away from seeing BYD on the grid, if at all, as the carmaker may decide to forego the motorsports route.