- BYD is considering entering competitive motorsports, including F1 and endurance racing, to boost its global brand appeal, Bloomberg reported.
- A potential entry would face high financial costs and strong resistance from existing F1 teams.
BYD is considering options to enter competitive motorsports, including Formula One, in an effort to boost the Chinese brand's global appeal, according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday.
The automaker is considering various options following its rapid growth in overseas markets and competitive racing's continuing shift toward hybrid engines, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
These range from the World Endurance Championship, which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, to F1, either through building its own team or potential acquisitions, the people added.
Any move by BYD would be a rare direct attempt by a Chinese manufacturer to take on a sport dominated by European and US teams.
The potential costs of entering F1 could be a significant obstacle for BYD, according to one of the people. Developing and entering a car often takes years of negotiations and costs as much as $500 million a season, Bloomberg noted.
An F1 partnership would significantly boost BYD's awareness in the US, even though the company currently doesn't sell cars there due to high tariffs and market restrictions.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the FIA, Formula One's governing body, has been vocal about welcoming a Chinese team.
In an interview with Le Figaro last year, he said bringing in a Chinese manufacturer would be the next logical step for F1 following the arrival of Cadillac, the Bloomberg report noted.
Existing teams tend to be resistant to new entrants into the sport. Any new team would dilute prize money and potentially team valuations as well.
Buying into an F1 team is a more common approach, although full team sales are rare, Bloomberg said. For 2026, F1 has implemented new hybrid power rules that include boosting battery capacity.
After years of rapid development, BYD has become the world's largest new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer and is now exploring the ultra-premium market.
Its Yangwang U9 Xtreme achieved a lap time of 6 minutes, 59.157 seconds at Germany's Nürburgring circuit in September 2025, becoming the first pure-electric production vehicle to break the 7-minute mark on the track.
