With Chinese EV manufacturer BYD keen on establishing a route into F1, might Christian Horner be the key to making it happen?

Shortly after the confirmation from BYD vice-president Stella Li that the Chinese manufacturer is interested in the prospect of an F1 project, Christian Horner is understood to have held a series of meetings with Li.

Christian Horner linked to potential BYD Formula 1 project

Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.

• Why BYD is exploring a Formula 1 entry
• How Christian Horner became involved in discussions
• What could happen with Formula 1’s potential 12th team slot

BYD is said to be interested in weighing up the potential of entering Formula 1 as a new participant, thus becoming the 12th team in the sport.

Speculation has emerged this week that BYD, now one of the world’s largest automakers having overtaken Tesla as the leading electric car manufacturer, has joined the bidding war for the 24 per cent stake in the Alpine F1 team that is currently owned by private equity firm Otro Capital.

The negotiations between interested parties and the Renault Group which owns Alpine have seen several bids emerge, which include former Red Bull CEO Christian Horner, as well as interest from Mercedes, which supplies Alpine with power units in Formula 1.

While Renault’s Flavio Briatore has acknowledged publicly the interest from Horner and from Mercedes, the F1 team itself has not commented on the speculation, merely pointing to how discussions are “between the current stakeholders and parties expressing an interest”.

However, it’s understood that BYD’s current focus is not on acquiring a minority stake in an existing F1 team but is eyeing up the possibility of establishing a completely new team in its own right.

Over last weekend, Horner is understood to have travelled to Cannes in the south of France to meet with Li, with the pair holding several meetings over the course of two days, with Li said to be “very excited” about the possibility of entering Formula 1.

BYD posted footage from its ‘Cannes Night’ event on social media, with Horner clearly visible as a guest of the automaker. He also visited the Formula E race in Monaco, which he attended as a guest of Liberty Global, the majority shareholder in the all-electric series.

Last month, Li was quoted as confirming meetings with Formula One Group CEO Stefano Domenicali in Shanghai.

“We are always in close contact,” she said.

“I like Formula 1 because it’s about passion and culture, and people dream of being in Formula 1.”

Li affirmed that BYD is “discussing” the possibility of joining the Formula 1 grid, which would provide the opportunity to “put our technology to the test.”

Last year, BYD Auto boasted a 7.7 per cent increase in global car unit sales to 4.6 million as its worldwide expansion continued, although its net earnings shrunk to CNY 32.6 billion ($4.7 billion) in what was its first profit decline since 2021.

It is currently ranked third largest car manufacturer in the world with a $125 billion market valuation, ranked only behind Tesla ($1.5 trillion) and Toyota ($244 billion).

Employing vertical integration across the BYD Group’s various technologies, it is a leading proponent for new energy, with its battery subsidiary FinDreams being the second-largest manufacturer globally of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.

Horner was released from his positions as Red Bull F1 team boss and CEO in the summer of 2025 as the Austrian parent company sought to re-establish control over its race team and, following a period of gardening leave, is now able to re-enter Formula 1 in any capacity as of May 8.

He is understood to have held several meetings with Domenicali and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem in the intervening months, with the potential for pulling together a 12th team in Formula 1 being a topic that has been visited, due to his success making him an attractive prospect for investment.

In October 2025, this writer suggested that BYD could target an F1 application upon the next opening of expressions of interest, perhaps through its performance and luxury brand Yangwang, which has set numerous new performance records in the production car industry.

These include a production-car top-speed world record, with the Yangwang U9 Extreme logging 496.22 km/h in a speed attempt last summer, as well as a Nürburgring lap record of 6:59.157 to become the first electric sports car to dip under the seven-minute mark.

At the time, PlanetF1.com questioned that, in the event of BYD interest in F1, “Would Horner choose to go up against such an application, or would teaming up with such an entity make more sense for all involved?”

Ben Sulayem recently said that he maintains regular contact with Horner, and opined that, due to his success, “people will come to him” regarding return opportunities.

Last summer, the FIA president confirmed that, in the event of the “right team” applying for a potential vacancy if the Expressions of Interest process begins, the FIA and FOM wouldn’t stand in its way.

“If there is a Chinese [bid], and I will speak on behalf of them[FOM] now in front of you, they will agree to that, because it is about sustaining the business,” he told select media, including PlanetF1.com.

“If there is a team from China, let’s say, and FOM approved it, and I am 100 per cent they will approve it, wouldn’t it make more money with China coming in? I believe, yes.

“Do we have to fill up [the grid] with a 12th team for the sake of filling up [the grid] with a 12th team? No. It will be the right team.

“I am here as a sportsman, and I’d like to keep the spirit of the sport.

“Of course, they will have to say, ‘Oh, it’s a piece of cake, and now it’s been divided into 11.’ Yes, I see the point. But the revenue is getting bigger.

“The time will come when we feel it right to open an Expression of Interest.

“We are not here to upset the other teams, but it won’t be just for the sake of doing it. It has to be worth it.

“For us, the [12th] team has to add value to sustaining the business of Formula 1, and the business of Formula 1 is not about the income, it’s about the longevity of the championship itself.”

As for Domenicali, he said last September that FOM will be “cautious” regarding potential new teams.

“We’ll only evaluate a bid of great significance because I think we’re already at a point with no more room; logistically, we’re at the limit,” he said.

“I see great interest from funds and investors looking to buy current franchises, let’s call them that, because a team’s value is growing exponentially, and therefore financial interest in investing in F1 is also increasing.

“We see it first-hand because we receive many enquiries, and the same happens to the teams. But precisely because things are going well, we must be prudent and protect the value of what we’ve built.”

More on Christian Horner

Christian Horner future update after Monaco Formula E paddock appearance

FIA president in ‘regular’ contact with Christian Horner ahead of expected F1 comeback

Horner is seeking an ownership or shareholding stake in his next role, a career and business challenge beyond his former Red Bull roles as team boss and CEO.

The last several months have seen him strongly linked with a potential role at Aston Martin, with team owner Lawrence Stroll said to have sounded out the possibility of forming a leadership duo of Horner and Adrian Newey.

Of the bids for the Otro Capital stake, he is believed to be one of the two preferred options for the Renault Group, which is understood to be seeking a more involved sporting partner for its F1 team, rather than passive investment.

Due to his success and proven track record in Formula 1, Horner firmly ticks this box, but could yet lose out to the Mercedes bid, which is believed to be the other preferred option.

While Mercedes’ bid is said to be lower, the existing relationship between Alpine and Mercedes could play a part in the decision, although this type of strategic alliance between ostensible rivals has come under increased scrutiny since the emergence of the Mercedes bid.

Particularly vocal on this has been McLaren CEO Zak Brown. Last week, PlanetF1.com revealed he has written to Ben Sulayem, urging the FIA to engage in talks on introducing legislation surrounding common team ownership structures, such as the hypothetical future Mercedes/Alpine deal, and the existing two-team ownership held by Red Bull.

With Brown calling for the banning of any more common ownership structures, as well as dissolving the existing, such a rule would prevent a Mercedes stake in Alpine, and would likely leave Horner at the top of the pile for Renault’s consideration.

However, with Horner keeping his options open, BYD – a company with the resources and know-how, as well as tacitly-implied pre-approval – could represent an even more intriguing path back into Formula 1.

Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.

You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!

Read Next: FIA chief warns ADUO ‘not a magic bullet’ for underperforming F1 power unit suppliers