- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,195,674
- Reaction score
- 59
The political war over expanding the Formula 1 grid is far from over. Following the fierce pushback from current teams against any new entries, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has just thrown a massive curveball into the paddock, publicly declaring exactly where the sport’s next franchise will originate.
As captured in the quotes from news outlet RN365, Ben Sulayem made his ultimate vision for the grid abundantly clear: he wants the Chinese automotive juggernaut BYD in Formula 1.
Here is a breakdown of the FIA President’s explosive comments and why this specific manufacturer has the paddock on high alert.
To understand the gravity of Ben Sulayem’s latest comments, you have to look at the immense friction between the FIA and the current 11 F1 teams regarding grid expansion.
The existing constructors have aggressively guarded their franchise values and prize money pools, notoriously stonewalling previous expansion efforts to ensure their pieces of the financial pie aren’t diluted. Ben Sulayem did not mince words about how that staunch opposition felt behind closed doors.
BYD EV car showroom in Shanghai, China | Robert Way via iStock
“I proposed expanding to 12 teams, but everyone opposed it, as if I had committed a crime,” the FIA President stated.
Despite that massive internal resistance from the current team principals, Ben Sulayem is refusing to back down, and he has explicitly identified the manufacturer he believes has the absolute right to break the grid wide open.
Rather than leaving room for speculation, Ben Sulayem dropped a direct bombshell regarding the future of the sport’s manufacturer lineup.
“But the message is clear, the next F1 team will come from China, because the right team we see at this moment comes from China,” he confirmed.
The team he is referring to is BYD. And when looking at the broader automotive landscape, the FIA’s desire to court the Chinese manufacturer makes perfect sense.
BYD has officially declared war on Toyota, publicly stating its ambition to double its global volume and become the world’s largest automaker within the next five years. Formula 1 is unequivocally the largest, most effective global marketing platform on the planet. If BYD wants to conquer the European and Western automotive markets, putting a car on the F1 grid is the ultimate flex of engineering and financial muscle.
Continue reading...
As captured in the quotes from news outlet RN365, Ben Sulayem made his ultimate vision for the grid abundantly clear: he wants the Chinese automotive juggernaut BYD in Formula 1.
Here is a breakdown of the FIA President’s explosive comments and why this specific manufacturer has the paddock on high alert.
The “Crime” of 12 Teams
To understand the gravity of Ben Sulayem’s latest comments, you have to look at the immense friction between the FIA and the current 11 F1 teams regarding grid expansion.
The existing constructors have aggressively guarded their franchise values and prize money pools, notoriously stonewalling previous expansion efforts to ensure their pieces of the financial pie aren’t diluted. Ben Sulayem did not mince words about how that staunch opposition felt behind closed doors.
You must be registered for see images attach
BYD EV car showroom in Shanghai, China | Robert Way via iStock
“I proposed expanding to 12 teams, but everyone opposed it, as if I had committed a crime,” the FIA President stated.
Despite that massive internal resistance from the current team principals, Ben Sulayem is refusing to back down, and he has explicitly identified the manufacturer he believes has the absolute right to break the grid wide open.
Enter BYD: The “Right Team”
Rather than leaving room for speculation, Ben Sulayem dropped a direct bombshell regarding the future of the sport’s manufacturer lineup.
“But the message is clear, the next F1 team will come from China, because the right team we see at this moment comes from China,” he confirmed.
The team he is referring to is BYD. And when looking at the broader automotive landscape, the FIA’s desire to court the Chinese manufacturer makes perfect sense.
BYD has officially declared war on Toyota, publicly stating its ambition to double its global volume and become the world’s largest automaker within the next five years. Formula 1 is unequivocally the largest, most effective global marketing platform on the planet. If BYD wants to conquer the European and Western automotive markets, putting a car on the F1 grid is the ultimate flex of engineering and financial muscle.
Continue reading...
