Le président de la FIA a déclaré que la douzième équipe de F1 pourrait être chinoise.

      "There have been discussions"

      Mohammed Ben Sulayem has intensified his re-election campaign by proposing the possibility of further expanding the Formula 1 grid. Fans are eager for the introduction of the sport's new eleventh team, Cadillac, next year, although this initiative has met strong resistance from F1’s owner Liberty Media and most of the existing ten teams. Despite the controversies, Ben Sulayem has consistently backed the formation of the new team, but he now faces a struggle to keep his position as he encounters opposition from fierce critic Tim Mayer, who is contesting for the presidency of the F1 governing body.

      Ben Sulayem initiated his re-election campaign at Silverstone, where he hinted that he still advocates for ending F1's hybrid power unit era and bringing back the powerful, exciting V8 engines. With the grid set to expand from 20 to 22 cars by 2026, the 63-year-old expressed his belief that the grid could accommodate a full complement of 24 cars. "There have been discussions," Ben Sulayem told reporters. "I still believe we need more teams, not more races. If a Chinese team were to express interest, I can assure you—speaking on behalf of FOM—that they would be in favor of it as it would benefit business."

      According to The Times, there are currently no active Chinese bids, but it is believed that the FIA has been in talks with Chinese manufacturers regarding the establishment of a Formula 1 team. A prominent candidate could be Geely, which owns a 17 percent share in Aston Martin Lagonda and is involved in a joint venture with Renault called Horse Powertrain, focusing on the development of internal combustion and hybrid engines. Former F1 driver and current Ferrari reserve Guanyu Zhou has a strong connection with Geely and has previously noted the company's significant interest in Formula 1.

      Ben Sulayem added, "Do we need to add a twelfth team just for the sake of it? No, it has to be the right team. I speak as a sportsman, and I want to maintain the spirit of the sport. Clearly, others may feel that the revenue should now be shared among 11 teams, which is a viewpoint I understand. However, revenue continues to grow steadily," he concluded.