FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has said that should Formula 1’s grid ever expand, the 12th team “will be from China.”Speaking to reporters in France on Saturday ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ben Sulayem discussed the appeal of motorsport to manufacturers before citing the growing interest from China.“We see with China, they said to me will you, or are you going to, add another 12th team as an expression of interest,” said Ben Sulayem. “It’s not about adding a team, it’s about adding the right team. And the right team, we can see it from China.”F1 went from 10 to 11 teams for the 2026 season after Cadillac’s entry was accepted last year.The expansion followed a lengthy approval process that saw the initial Andretti Global proposal knocked back amid concerns from the existing teams, chiefly over the impact adding another team would have on their prize money.Once the entry was rebranded as Cadillac and the car company’s owner, General Motors, had committed to a future F1 engine project, the opposition softened.Cadillac’s Sergio Perez pictured driving during the Monaco Grand Prix. (Joe Portlock / Getty Images)Under F1’s regulations, the grid is allowed to have as many as 12 teams, with speculation emerging in recent months that Chinese car giant BYD is evaluating some future involvement.Ben Sulayem launched an official tender process to expand the grid in 2023, paving the way for Cadillac’s eventual arrival, and he has previously made reference to the fact the rules allow for as many as 12 teams.“It’s not something of a secret. When I opened the expression of interest, everybody went against it. It was like, I don’t know, I did something (like) a criminal act,” he added.“But definitely, the message has been said that if there is a team, it will be from China, hopefully.”BYD’s executive vice president Stella Li has met F1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali on multiple occasions this year. Li also met former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who is exploring potential routes back into the sport, at the Cannes Film Festival.F1 has enjoyed substantial growth in China in recent years. The Chinese Grand Prix, which debuted in Shanghai in 2004, returned to the calendar in 2024 following a five-year absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Zhou Guanyu also became China’s first full-time F1 driver, racing for Sauber from 2022 to 2024.Last year’s F1 movie starring Brad Pitt was a box office smash in China, while the race in Shanghai has attracted a strong, growing presence of young fans.Should F1 look to expand the grid to 12 teams, any entry would require approval from both the FIA and the F1 organization, as was the case with Cadillac.‘The decision is made’ for V8s returnBen Sulayem also emphasized his wish to see the sport return to V8s as early as 2030 before adding: “It’s going to be a V8. The decision is made.”In recent weeks, Ben Sulayem has been vocal about moving back to naturally-aspirated V8s — last used in 2013 — to make the engines lighter, simpler and cheaper for manufacturers.Although Ben Sulayem felt the existing 1.6-liter V6 hybrid engine formula, which underwent a series of changes for 2026 to move near a 50-50 split between combustion and electrical power, had given “a lot,” the sport was now “ready for a fresh engine.”The next cycle of engine rules are not due to begin until 2031, but Ben Sulayem said he was trying to push for 2030 and added that some element of a hybrid system would be retained “providing you have simplicity.”The previous generation of cars were the heaviest in the sport’s history. The overhaul of the 2026 car designs led to a 30kg (66 lbs) reduction that was praised by the drivers for helping make the cars feel more nimble and agile.FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem wants F1 cars to be lighter. (Andrej Isakovic / AFP via Getty Images)Ben Sulayem indicated he wanted to make further cuts, moving into the region of 630-650kg, as “heavy is not good for a driver.”Speaking in Monaco last week, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner told reporters he wanted F1 to retain a turbocharger as part of its next engine cycle. But Ben Sulayem suggested keeping the turbo could undo the bid to make the engines simple.“If we have a turbo, you’re talking about what, heavy weight,” said Ben Sulayem. “And then what is the mission? The mission is simplicity, low cost, sound for the spectators.”Jun 13, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms