Formula 1’s newest entrant, Cadillac, has announced a significant leadership shake-up during the sport’s mid-season summer break. The team has parted ways with its inaugural team principal, Graeme Lowdon, appointing veteran F1 engineer and former Alpine executive director Marcin Budkowski as his successor with immediate effect.
A Sudden Leadership Transition
Cadillac makes abrupt F1 team principal change
The departure of Lowdon, 61, comes only 11 races into Cadillac’s debut Formula 1 season. Lowdon, a former senior figure in the Manor/Marussia team that raced from 2009 to 2016, had been central to the project since its inception. He was appointed team principal in December 2024, leading the team for approximately 20 months and spearheading the mission to build the outfit from a blank sheet of paper,
including recruiting staff and overseeing infrastructure development. Lowdon had been involved in the project for over two years, working alongside Cadillac Formula 1 Team CEO Dan Towriss to navigate a protracted entry process. He previously likened the challenge of creating a new team from scratch to the difficulty of landing a man on the moon.
Despite his foundational role, Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss confirmed that the decision to remove Lowdon was his alone. Towriss stated to the media on Wednesday that the decision was his own and had not been reached mutually. While specific details regarding the conversations between the two were kept private, Towriss emphasized that the change was necessary for the team’s evolution. Towriss stated that the appointment of Marcin Budkowski represents another significant step in the ongoing development of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team. He added that from the beginning, the team’s objective had not been merely to participate in Formula 1, but to construct a next-generation team with the capability to compete at the very front of the field.
The Arrival of Marcin Budkowski
Why have Cadillac decided to replace Graeme Lowdon with
Marcin Budkowski, 49, brings extensive experience to the role. Before his tenure as executive director at Alpine, which ended in 2022, he ran the technical department of the FIA from 2014 to 2017 and held positions at McLaren, Ferrari, and Prost. Since 2022, he had been working as a pundit in Poland. At Cadillac, Budkowski will reunite with former colleagues, including Chief Technical Officer Nick Chester, with whom he worked during their time at Renault.
Regarding the transition, Budkowski noted that this is a phase of immense opportunity for the team. His first race in charge will be the Dutch Grand Prix, scheduled to take place after the four-week summer break from August 21-23.
Performance Challenges in the Debut Season
American F1 team makes shocking midseason change in bid
The management change arrives as Cadillac struggles through its inaugural 2026 campaign. The General Motors-backed squad is currently the only team on the grid that has yet to score a point during the first 11 rounds of the season, leaving them at the bottom of the constructors’ championship. The team’s performance has been hampered by technical issues, with both drivers, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, suffering abrupt retirements in multiple races. The team’s debut in Australia, which occurred a little over a year after they were granted approval to join the sport, marked the start of a difficult half-season that ultimately led to the decision to replace Lowdon.
In a statement regarding the outgoing principal, Towriss expressed gratitude toward Graeme Lowdon for his leadership and the role he played in establishing the Cadillac Formula 1 team from the ground up. He noted that Lowdon’s contributions helped build a strong foundation during the team’s formative phase, and he thanked him for his dedication while wishing him success in the future.