Major Chinese manufacturer confirms F1 talks

Giant Chinese manufacturer BYD has confirmed that it has held conversations with F1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali. 

The Chinese brand is rapidly growing and recently overtook Tesla to become the global top seller of EV vehicles. 

BYD has previously held several talks with Formula E, but communication is now also taking place with F1. 

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has previously outlined that he would welcome a 12th team into the sport, especially if it were a Chinese company. 

Whether BYD's interest is as a new team or to join with a current outfit is unknown, but meetings have taken place with Domenicali.

Speaking at the Beijing motor show BYD vice president Stella Li told Sportmediaset: "We met Stefano Domenicali in Shanghai. We maintain a warm relationship and are in regular contact."

Li is a fan of F1, and in particular how drivers dream of reaching it, saying: "I love Formula 1 because it's all about passion and culture, and people dream of driving in Formula 1." 

When asked if BYD's future participation in Formula 1 is a possibility, Li replied firmly, "Yes, we are talking about it. It's a real opportunity to test our technology."