The former principal for the Red Bull F1 racing team, Christian Horner, is working with Chinese electric car manufacturer BYD to get back into F1. Horner wants to build a team around himself that he can be completely in charge of, and BYD needs someone who “knows the ropes” of F1, but the move would give BYD a much larger stature on the world stage.
This isn’t just a rumor because it’s been published in the F1 press that BYD’s executive VP, Stella Li, had a “behind closed doors” meeting with F1 officials to feel them out on her firm getting involved in F1. Details weren’t made public so no one knows what level they’re looking to get involved but obviously the strongest move for BYD would be to serve as the team’s brand name sponsor.
The problem I see with this is that F1 holds races at three different race tracks in the US; Austin, Miami and Las Vegas. So if the BYD deal comes off, Red China would be would be waging its propaganda campaigns at race tracks on American soil.
So we need to start a letter/email-writing campaign to our congressmen to advise Trump45/47/48 that the best way to prevent this would be to put pressure on those three F1 circuits (Circuit of the Americas, Miami International Autodrome, & the Las Vegas Strip Circuit) to announce NOW that F1 will not be allowed to compete on US soil if BYD is in any way oinvolved, and do this before the movement has built up any steam.
“. . . put pressure on those three F1 circuits (Circuit of the Americas, Miami International Autodrome, & the Las Vegas Strip Circuit) to announce NOW that F1 will not be allowed . . ..”
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Follow the money. These GP tracks are unlikely to do anything that hurts their bottom line.
I think we have bigger things to worry about than whether a Chinese company has an F1 team. Maybe it would be a net positive an wake the American competitive spirit. Cold war rivalry with USSR got us to the moon, we are still asleep with regards to China.