Formula 1 newcomer Cadillac has announced a significant shift in its senior leadership, replacing team principal Graeme Lowdon with Marcin Budkowski. While the team’s official statement described the move as a planned leadership transition
intended to evolve the organization from its initial build phase into the next stage of racing performance, Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss later clarified the nature of the change to the media.
Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss
Towriss, who worked with Lowdon for four years to secure Cadillac’s entry into Formula 1, confirmed that the decision to remove him was his alone. Towriss stated that the decision was his own and had not been reached through a mutual agreement. He explained that the process of evaluating the team’s needs for its next phase began several months ago. Addressing the abrupt nature of the announcement, Towriss noted that keeping the transition quiet was necessary to avoid destabilizing the organization. Towriss remarked that there was no simple way to carry out such a transition within the context of Formula 1. He added that while the situation felt more sudden than it might have otherwise, such is the nature of Formula 1 and it was the only way the change could have taken place.
Lowdon, the former chief of the now-defunct Manor F1 outfit, was credited by Towriss for his role in forming the Cadillac team from the ground up and establishing a strong foundation. Despite this, Lowdon has stepped aside and left the team following a conversation with the CEO on the morning of the announcement.
Marcin Budkowski F1 career
His successor, 49-year-old Marcin Budkowski, brings extensive experience to the role. Budkowski’s F1 career began in 2001 at Prost Grand Prix, followed by six seasons at Ferrari. He joined McLaren in 2007, where he worked at the team’s Woking headquarters and trackside, contributing to Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 World Championship victory and eventually rising to Head of Aerodynamics in 2012. Budkowski later served at the FIA in technical and sporting divisions, including a tenure as Deputy Race Director, where he played a central role in the 2018 introduction of the halo safety device. More recently, he served as Executive Director at Renault, which was later rebranded as Alpine, before parting ways with that team in 2022.
Budkowski’s appointment is viewed by Towriss as an effort to instill a winning mindset
within the organization. Towriss explained that as the Cadillac Formula 1 Team enters this new era, Marcin brings exceptional F1 experience, technical expertise, and strategic leadership that will strengthen the organization and assist in developing the winning mindset, tools, and processes necessary for long-term success.
Cadillac MAC-26 car
Cadillac currently sits as the only team yet to score points in the 2026 season. Despite the points drought, the team’s MAC-26 car has been described as performing at or above expectations, occasionally outpacing Aston Martin’s 2026 entry. The team, which features a driver pairing of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, has dealt with technical hurdles during its rookie campaign, including a brake fire for Perez at the Monaco Grand Prix and a technical issue that forced Bottas to stop on track during the Australian Grand Prix. Cadillac is expected to spend the remainder of the current campaign at the back of the grid as rivals introduce development steps.
Budkowski will assume his duties publicly starting at the Dutch Grand Prix, which marks the resumption of the season following the sport’s four-week summer break from August 21-23.