Ben Sulayem wants Chinese 12th F1 team

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has again opened the door to a 12th Formula 1 team, directly contradicting Stefano Domenicali’s recent suggestion that another entry is not needed in the medium term.

Ben Sulayem says any new entry should be a major Chinese manufacturer, following Cadillac’s arrival as the 11th team.

"The FIA can open a tender to find a twelfth team, but do we need a team? No, we need ’the’ team," he said.

"So I said - and I also told the promoter - we agree that we need a team and that team must come from China."

The FIA president is quoted as saying by Italy’s Autosprint that talks have already taken place with BYD and Geely.

"I met other manufacturers who told us they needed to be in Formula 1 - one was BYD, the other Geely."

"We said that if they came along, we would open an expression of interest."

Ben Sulayem said he initially suggested BYD could buy an existing operation.

"They replied that they wanted their own team."

He says any proposal would still need to satisfy the FIA before a formal process was opened.

"Ok, then come back with a serious offer and we’ll see if it can work," he said, repeating his advice to BYD.

The comments are notable because F1 CEO Domenicali recently ruled out adding a 12th team in the foreseeable future, within memory of the fraught political battle surrounding Cadillac’s eventual admission.

Ben Sulayem also made clear that a Chinese manufacturer’s preference for electrification would not influence F1’s longer-term technical direction, including discussions about a return to V8 power.

"The regulations won’t be influenced by the Chinese, we can’t do that," he said.

"There must be stability in the regulations. I know they are at the forefront of electrification, but is that the only way to achieve our goal?"

"We are trying to achieve a clean environment and clean air, and there are many ways to achieve that."