BYD is looking at Formula 1, although for now it sounds more like an open conversation than a signed plan.
According to ITHome, BYD executive vice-president Stella Li told Italy’s Sportmediaset during the Beijing auto show that the Chinese carmaker had met Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali for talks in Shanghai.
ITHome said BYD could consider several routes into F1. It might buy or form a team, supply technology, or come in as a sponsor. None of those options has been confirmed.
From 2026, Formula 1 cars will still use hybrid power units, but the electric side will become much more important. The MGU-K output would rise from 120kW to 350kW, and F1 said the electrical system would account for roughly half of total power-unit output.
That makes the sport a more natural fit for BYD than it used to be. The company has built its name around batteries, electric motors, plug-in hybrids and high-volume manufacturing.
F1 remains a petrol-electric series, not a pure EV championship, but its next technical rules move closer to the areas BYD wants to show off.
There are still big hurdles. The grid already has 10 teams, with Cadillac due to join in 2026.
A new BYD team would be difficult. Buying into an existing outfit or taking a technical or sponsorship role may be more realistic, but that is still speculation.
BYD also has the scale to make the paddock take notice. ITHome reported that the company sold 4.6 million vehicles in 2025 and had overtaken Tesla in electric-vehicle sales.
