Marcin Budkowski has outlined his vision for Cadillac’s next chapter as he prepares for his first race weekend as Team Principal at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, following the sudden mid-season departure of founding boss Graeme Lowdon.

The leadership switch, executed during the summer break by TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss, came as an initial surprise across the paddock, including to race drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, who had both signed with the squad under Lowdon's leadership.

Drivers Back Change for Long-Term Progress

Speaking in Zandvoort, Bottas admitted the timing of the shift was unexpected but acknowledged that tough calls are necessary for growth.

“I think big change like this in the middle of the season is always initially surprising,” Bottas said. “But then speaking with Dan, he explained to me all the reasons behind this change, and I respect that. I think if we just keep everything the same, we're never going to progress. So we've got to change some things.”

Bottas added: “Obviously, it's a real shame that it was Graeme who got out because, first of all, he's a friend of mine. But I also think he's done a great job setting up the team and getting ready to be on the grid in the first race. I think something needed to change. Some issues we've had have been dragging along.”

Teammate Sergio Perez echoed similar sentiments, praising Lowdon’s foundational work while expressing optimism for Budkowski’s tenure.

“I think Graeme has played a tremendous part in bringing Cadillac where it is now, together with Jim [Campbell, General Motors VP for Performance and Motorsports] and Dan,” Perez stated. “On Marcin, I think it's really exciting. I think it was time to change and I think it shows that, although it's only our first year, Cadillac is really willing to move forwards this team as quickly as possible.”

Moving from 'Wartime' to Sustainable Growth

Budkowski, who recently toured the team’s new facility at Silverstone before traveling to the Netherlands, paid tribute to the monumental effort required to launch the squad from scratch, while highlighting why the operational philosophy must now evolve.

“I have immense respect and admiration for what's been achieved so far by Graeme for building this team from the ground up, recruiting his people, and actually showing up and racing, and with a level of competitiveness that I think is reasonable for a new team,” Budkowski said.

“Equally, in the time they had available, they had to take some shortcuts. And these shortcuts, some of them are biting us a little bit. For me, these guys have gone to war, and the decisions you make in wartime are different to the decisions you make in peacetime.”

Addressing technical hurdles such as brake reliability and integration, Budkowski stressed the importance of data gathering and refined structuring as Cadillac looks to solidify its position on the grid.

“It's a great foundation. It's a great starting point,” he concluded. “There are things that are actually very, very good. There are things that need attention, and also there's potentially some reprioritisation to be done in terms of what's important.”