F1, the 12th team must be Chinese
The FIA is counting on BYD to expand the championship. China is the only way to get to 24 cars.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem has drawn the red line for the expansion of Formula 1: if a twelfth team arrives, it will have to be based in China. The president of the FIA has closed the door to alternative scenarios, indicating the Chinese market as the only viable way to reach the objective of twenty-four cars on the grid. The Emirati reviewed the recent bureaucratic tensions, recalling how Cadillac's entry encountered initial almost criminalized resistance.
Despite this, the expansion plan proceeds, but with a precise geographical condition. Among the names circulating most insistently is BYD, the Chinese automotive giant already ready to challenge European manufacturers. The request is clear: the new entity must not be just an empty box, but a manufacturer rooted in China to ensure true globalization of the championship.
