Cadillac confirms leadership change for debut season

Cadillac Formula 1 Team has announced former Alpine Executive Director Marcin Budkowski will become its new Team Principal, replacing Graeme Lowdon with immediate effect ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.

The American outfit made its debut in Australia earlier this season, a little over a year after approval to join the grid. Lowdon, appointed Team Principal at the end of 2024, spearheaded the mission to build the team from a blank sheet of paper alongside CEO of TWG Motorsports Dan Towriss, recruiting staff, building infrastructure and delivering two cars for Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas.

Cadillac said the appointment marks a planned leadership transition as the organisation evolves "from its initial build phase into the next stage of racing performance".

Why the change now

As the team entered the summer break, Cadillac had yet to score its maiden point. Progress has been made, but reliability has been disappointing, notably a chronic overheating brake problem that has persisted despite fixes.

"Marcin's appointment marks another important step in the continued evolution of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team," said Dan Towriss. "From the beginning, our goal has not been simply to participate in Formula 1, but to build a next-generation team capable of competing at the very front."

Towriss added: "As we enter this new era for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, Marcin brings exceptional F1 experience, technical expertise and strategic leadership that will strengthen our organisation and help us develop the winning mindset, tools and processes required for long-term success. We're grateful to Graeme Lowdon for his leadership and the role he played in forming the Cadillac Formula 1 Team from the ground up. His contributions helped establish a strong foundation in our build-up phase, and we thank him for his commitment and wish him well."

Sources say the team had been considering senior leadership options for some time, canvassing current and former paddock personnel. With the project well funded and ambitious, the slow progress and recurring issues prompted the decision to move on from Lowdon.

Budkowski's Formula 1 pedigree

The 49-year-old Pole is no stranger to Formula 1, having worked across sporting and technical divisions and senior leadership teams.

Budkowski made his debut in the sport in 2001 at Prost Grand Prix, before spending six seasons with Ferrari. He moved to McLaren in 2007, working trackside and at Woking, winning the World Championship with Lewis Hamilton in 2008 and rising to Head of Aerodynamics in 2012.

He then joined the FIA, working across technical and sporting divisions and serving as Deputy Race Director, playing a central role in introducing the halo safety device in 2018.

Renault tempted him back team-side in 2018, forming a three-pronged leadership team with Laurent Rossi and Davide Brivio at the operation that was rebranded Alpine. Alpine secured its first Grand Prix win with Esteban Ocon in the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix and finished fifth in the Teams' Championship. Budkowski left Alpine early in 2022 after four years.

Since departing, he has remained a regular paddock visitor via broadcasting roles with Viaplay and Eleven Sports Poland.

Budkowski said: "Cadillac Formula 1 Team has an extraordinary foundation and ambition. This is a phase of huge opportunity for the team, one that will be defined by a clear objective: maximising car development within the cost cap and turning every team function on to compete."

"That means building an elite organisation with a winning mindset – driven, relentless in the face of setbacks, obsessed with detail and process, and able to execute with precision on race day. My focus will be on aligning our people, tools and information flow so the right decisions are made quickly, and the performance of the car improves every time we go racing. It is a privilege to be leading Cadillac Formula 1 Team's on-track efforts, starting in Zandvoort next weekend."

Budkowski started work on Wednesday and will be in the factory at Silverstone on Monday as he begins assimilation into the project before the season resumes at Zandvoort with 12 Grands Prix remaining. The team expects him to assess the operation over the next few months and determine strengthening needs, with a short-term priority to resolve recurring reliability issues before adding performance to close the gap to the midfield.