BYD aims to enter Formula 1. What was a well-founded rumor is now a confirmed reality from the brand. It was Stella Li, BYD’s vice president, who asserted this at the Beijing Auto Show. Talks with Formula 1 are already underway, though that doesn’t mean everything is settled, far from it.
Formula 1 is turning into a frenzy in China, moving from a nearly deserted Grand Prix to a need to expand the Shanghai circuit. That, along with the greater electrification of the championship, is pushing BYD to consider entering Formula 1, but they will still have to pass the American filter.
BYD is in talks with Formula 1
“We met Stefano Domenicali in Shanghai. We have a cordial relationship and stay in regular contact. I love Formula 1 because it is about passion and culture. People dream of driving a Formula 1″. Up to this point, they could be mere polite words from Stella Li, BYD’s vice president, but what came after leaves little room for doubt.
“Yes, we are considering entering Formula 1. It is a real opportunity to test our technology.” These are the words that change the paradigm. It is no longer a rumor; it is official: BYD wants to race in Formula 1. And now the question is how they will do it and how many facilities will be provided to them.
When a few years ago people wanted to brag about a car, the most common approach was to rely on low consumption, power, or extras. Now, not so. Technology has taken center stage. But it isn’t always where we imagine, rather in places far less obvious.
Advice offered by the brand
From the FIA’s side, they will have everything under control, as Mohammed Ben-Sulayem, the organization’s president, has already opened a twelfth seat to competition and said he wanted another team in Formula 1, especially if it were Chinese. The question is how picky Liberty Media will be with BYD.
What offers optimism is that in the latest Concorde Pact they agreed to keep the door open for a twelfth team, so BYD could slip through that crack. But what worries is that geopolitically, the Americanized Liberty Media might not be keen on rolling out the red carpet to a Chinese team, especially after what happened with Cadillac.
One must note that BYD recently surpassed Tesla as the world’s best-selling electric car brand, a blow not only to the American automotive industry, but also to one of the most influential figures in the current U.S. administration, who, it is widely known, wields substantial influence over Liberty Media.
Another option for BYD could be to buy a team, with Alpine, Haas and the Red Bull subsidiary being the most plausible candidates.
Images | BYD, Xataka
