Chinese car giant linked with F1 entry and Christian Horner move is blacklisted by The Pentagon

Horner in Red Bull kit looking down at his phone — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Car giant linked with F1 entry and Christian Horner move is blacklisted by The Pentagon

The move shouldn't impact any potential F1 entry

Chris Deeley

Wednesday 10 June 2026 08:05 Updated: 09:08

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Electric and hybrid vehicle manufacturer BYD, linked with a move to dip their toes into the F1 pool, has been added by the Pentagon to a list of entities it believes have helped the Chinese military.

Being added to the US Defence Department's '1260H list' might not mean that much in practical terms for BYD, as it doesn't directly apply any sanctions to the company, although the Defence Department will be prohibited from contracting with them.

It's unclear that being added to the list will have any impact on a potential future in F1 - despite Liberty Media being an American company, it has plenty of involvement in China, including the annual Chinese Grand Prix.

BYD declined to comment when approached by GPFans.

Will BYD enter F1?

BYD vice-president Stella Li met with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem over the Monaco Grand Prix weekend as the company continues to explore its options in the sport.

It's vanishingly unlikely that F1 will approve a 12th team to join the grid in the foreseeable future, with Cadillac only just joining the grid in 2026 and some tracks lacking the space to functionally make a 12-team event viable.

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“We are seeking any opportunity to see if BYD technology can help FIA, can help all other teams,” Li told PlanetF1. “Second ambition, as BYD, we also need to build a brand here. So this is the scope.”

Li recently met with Christian Horner in Cannes, sparking speculation that the former Red Bull chief would be involved in a future BYD enterprise. Of him, she simply said: “Yeah, he is a great guy, a good friend, we like him."

Horner appears keen to get back into the sport, but any BYD connection would have to be a long-term play, given the difficulty involved in setting up a new F1 team in 2027 – or, indeed, buying an existing one, as valuations soar.

F1 Christian Horner