FIA boss hints at Chinese team joining Formula 1 grid

Jul.10 (GMM)  Mohammed Ben Sulayem has added fuel to his re-election campaign by signalling support for expanding the Formula 1 grid to include a twelfth team — possibly from China.

While fans anticipate the arrival of an eleventh team, Cadillac, in 2026, that addition was been met with fierce resistance from Liberty Media and most of the existing ten teams. The controversial FIA president, however, has consistently backed the expansion.

Now facing a challenge for the presidency from former steward Tim Mayer, Ben Sulayem used the British Grand Prix weekend to boost his platform. After promoting the return of louder, simpler V8 engines and questioning the future of hybrid power units, he turned his attention to grid size.

With the sport set to grow from 20 to 22 cars next season, Ben Sulayem says there’s room for even more.

“There have been discussions,” he told reporters. “I still believe we need more teams, not more races. If a Chinese team were to apply, I can tell you – speaking now on behalf of FOM – that they would be all for it because it would be good for business.”

Although The Times reports no formal Chinese entry has been submitted, it claims the FIA has held talks with Chinese manufacturers about forming a Formula 1 team.

One strong contender is Geely — the Chinese company that owns a 17 percent stake in Aston Martin Lagonda and is partnered with Renault in the Horse Powertrain venture, focusing on internal combustion and hybrid engines.

Ferrari reserve driver Guanyu Zhou, China’s first full-time F1 racer, is known to have ties with Geely. In the past, he has said the automaker has a “high interest” in joining Formula 1.

Still, Ben Sulayem warned that any expansion must be meaningful: “Do we have to add a twelfth team just for the sake of it? No, it will have to be the right team.”

“I speak as a sportsman and I would like to preserve the spirit of sport,” he added. “Clearly, the others would say that the pie should now be divided among 11, and that is an argument I understand. However, revenues are growing steadily.”]]>