Cadillac raid Red Bull and Ferrari for technical leaders as expansion continues

Cadillac have announced several changes to their technical leadership, with three senior figures set to join from rival teams including Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes over the coming months.

Having made their Formula 1 debut this season, Cadillac have focused on building a robust foundation they hope will enable them to fight at the front as their experience grows. As part of that ambition, they have already made a major switch in replacing Graeme Lowdon with Marcin Budkowski as Team Principal, owing to his previous stints at multiple championship-winning teams.

Their latest appointments see Craig Skinner arrive as Chief Development Engineer, Eric Blandin as Head of Aerodynamics, and Tim Lean as Chief Engineer – Aerodynamics Modelling and Simulation.

Skinner spent 20 years with Red Bull as their Chief Designer, contributing to their back-to-back titles between 2021 and 2024, and will support the connection between concept, design, analysis and delivery at Cadillac. Blandin, who will lead the aerodynamics group, has worked in F1 for over 11 years, with Mercedes and Aston Martin as Chief Aerodynamicist and Deputy Technical Director respectively. Lean, a former McLaren and Red Bull employee, will use expertise gleaned from five years as principal aerodynamicist at Ferrari to manage Aerodynamics Modelling and Simulation.

An official team statement read: “The Cadillac Formula 1 Team today announced three senior technical appointments that mark an important milestone in the continued technical evolution of the organisation, strengthening leadership across vehicle development and the broader aerodynamics function. These key appointments underscore Cadillac Formula 1 Team’s commitment to developing the technical depth, collaboration and accountability required to support its long-term ambitions in Formula 1. They will all join the team in the next few months.”

“These appointments represent a vital step in the technical evolution of the team,” added Budkowski. “Bringing together experienced leadership across development, aerodynamics and modelling will help us create a stronger integrated technical organization and improve performance on track. Craig, Eric and Tim bring race and championship-winning experience to Cadillac F1 in areas that are central to our long-term development.”