FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has revealed his desire for a Chinese manufacturer to join Formula 1 with a 12th team.
In November 2024, F1 and Cadillac agreed terms to bring the American marque to the grid in 2026 as an 11th team.
That brought an end to a lengthy saga that began with Michael Andretti launching his eponymous outfit through a prospective F1 team tender process instigated by the FIA.
Andretti passed the FIA’s scrutiny but failed to agree terms with Formula One Management and it wasn’t until he stepped aside and the bid was rebranded as General Motors’ official Cadillac entry that the American F1 dream was realised.
With a big player in the American automotive market sealing its place on the F1 grid, Ben Sulayem wants another major player to get involved as well.
“It’s been my dream for the last two years that the big countries should have a presence in Formula 1,” Ben Sulayem told French publication Le Figaro.
“The United States will be with General Motors.
“The next step is to welcome a Chinese manufacturer. We already have a driver,” the FIA president added, referring to Zhou Guanyu.
However, Ben Sulayem stressed the need for quality over quantity, saying “Should we think in terms of quantity or quality? We need quality teams.”
Which Chinese marque could enter F1?
A Chinese marque in F1 makes sense given the series’ efforts to broaden its appeal in several international markets.
The Chinese Grand Prix has been handed a contract extension through the 2030 F1 season and the nation’s automotive market is the largest in the world.
In 2023, China produced over 30 million cars, more than the next three largest car-producing companies combined (USA, Japan and India).
If a Chinese marque were to enter the sport, a name like Geely would make sense given the brand’s recognition across international markets and its involvement with several other brands given its stakes in the likes of Volvo and Lotus.
Moreover, Geely and the Renault Group joined forces in 2024 to bring forth HORSE Powertrains, a company each brand has a 50% stake in to produce engines for each brand plus Volvo, Dacia, Proton, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Lynk & Co.
As well as this, Zhou already has ties with Geely as a brand ambassador and claimed the marque has interests in F1.
“Of course, they still have a high interest around motorsports, on Formula 1 in general,” he said.
Who else wants a 12th team in F1?
Beyond Ben Sulayem’s wishes for a Chinese manufacturer to get involved in F1 with a 12th team on the grid, former Alpine Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer revealed last year that he’d been working with a prospective entry.
Speaking on the James Allen on F1 podcast, Szafnauer said: “I’ve been working with some American funders and some car manufacturers to look at a 12th team for the future.
“At the time, when I started the project, it was going to be the 11th team, but now Cadillac is in, so they’ve got the 11th spot.
“So when they open up the process of adding the 12th team, I hope to be able to put in a robust case to allow the 12th team to go to the people that I have funding it, as well as the manufacturer that I’m working with.”
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