Christian Horner will face ‘ruthless’ cost-cutting if he agrees to lead BYD’s F1 project

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As Christian Horner looks to return to Formula 1 with BYD, he might be in for a shock when it comes to the power he actually holds.

After Horner’s attempt to buy Alpine was hijacked by Mercedes, the former Red Bull CEO assessed his options as he plots a return to Formula 1.

Over the last few days, it was reported that Horner met with BYD officials at Cannes to discuss a possible venture into Formula 1.

Would BYD be a good back-up option for Christian Horner if he does not join Alpine?

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The Chinese electric car manufacturer have eyed a possible move into Formula 1 in recent months, with BYD even earning Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s blessing for a possible project.

But if Christian Horner is picked as the man to lead BYD’s Formula 1 project, he will learn something that many in the business world have learned about the Chinese outfit.

Sebastian Vettel (L) of Germany and Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium with his Team Principal Christian Horner (R) after winning the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit on April 22, 2012 in Sakhir, Bahrain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

READ MORE: F1 officials could hit BYD with the same ‘stumbling block’ Cadillac faced to join the grid

BYD top brass have a reputation for frugal approach to business

Entering Formula 1 as a new team is not an easy ordeal. Cadillac is the most recent example, having joined Formula 1 this year.

Despite spending a great deal of money, Cadillac still find themselves at the back of the pack so far, as is to be expected from a new team.

And for them or any other new team to continue improving in Formula 1, there has to be investment and financial backing on a regular basis.

Christian Horner, having been a team boss for 20 years with multiple championships, will know this and convey this to the senior officials at BYD.

However, that might not be well received. According to a report from the Financial Times, BYD’s senior leadership found success due to an ‘aggressive’ culture of cost-cutting.

In fact, the culture of cost-preservation has been considered an essential part of the company’s philosophy, and has not been tweaked even since their rise.

If this is the same approach BYD bring to Formula 1, Christian Horner will struggle to get the most out of this project without the spending power he had during his 20 years with Red Bull.

READ MORE: Christian Horner could ‘veto’ Alpine’s driver line-up if he beats Mercedes’ offer to buy 24% stake

How many years would it take Christian Horner to win races with BYD?

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Christian Horner must consider BYD pitfall if he can ‘buy into’ any team

If reports from The Telegraph are to be believed, Christian Horner has secured the financial backing to be able to ‘buy into’ any team in the F1 Paddock.

This suggests that Horner, while eager to return to the sport, is not desperate, nor lacking in options to secure his comeback to Formula 1.

With the FIA likely to block Mercedes from buying Alpine, it might make more sense for Horner to look into this option again, as it wouldn’t force him to start a team from scratch like he would with BYD.

On top of that, several other teams have kept an eye on the former Red Bull CEO’s movements. Ferrari have admired Horner for a long time, and could look to bring him in.

Horner is also said to be in contact with Lawrence Stroll about the possibility of him taking over for his former colleague, Adrian Newey, at Aston Martin.

BYD might have great ambitions to enter Formula 1 that align with Horner. But if they’re not willing to spend money on the project beyond the bare minimum, Horner might be better off opting for another team.