The Formula 1 grid might soon get even bigger, with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem pushing to add a Chinese team to the mix.
It’s a move that would shake up the racing world, coming right after the exciting news about Cadillac and General Motors joining F1 for 2026.
“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 newspaper Le Figaro.
The timing couldn’t be better. With Cadillac bringing a second American team to F1, Ben Sulayem’s got his sights set on China as the next big player to join the grid as team number 12.
China’s already got a foot in the door with driver Guanyu Zhou competing in F1. But Ben Sulayem’s not just looking to fill spots – he wants the real deal.
“We need quality teams,” he emphasized. “Should we think in terms of quantity or quality? Quality is what matters.”
The push for a Chinese team makes perfect sense when you look at the numbers. China churns out more than 30 million cars every year – that’s more than the US, Japan, and India put together.
Geely looks like the front-runner if a Chinese manufacturer does jump in. They’re already connected to F1 through their stake in the Aston Martin team, and Zhou serves as their brand ambassador.
But here’s what’s really interesting: Geely’s never hidden the fact that they want to run their own F1 team someday. They don’t just want a piece of the action – they want to be in the driver’s seat.
Could we see a Chinese team lining up on the grid in the next few years? With F1’s growing global appeal and China’s massive automotive industry, it’s starting to look more likely than ever.
