In an unexpected move, Cadillac ousted Graeme Lowdon as team principal, replacing him with former Alpine chief Marcin Budkowski just a week before Formula 1's return to action in Zandvoort. This decision, made by Cadillac F1 team chief executive Dan Towriss, has raised several questions, which Towriss addressed in a recent media appearance alongside Budkowski. Here are four key takeaways from their discussion. While changes in team leadership are more common in Formula 1 than they used to be, mid-season exits are still relatively rare.
The sudden nature of Lowdon's departure was surprising, especially given that Cadillac is only 11 races into its inaugural season and had warned that it would likely be racing at the back of the field. Towriss explained that the plan had always been for Lowdon to eventually hand over the reins to someone else for the next stage of Cadillac's development, but admitted that the time for this transition came sooner than expected.
Towriss emphasized that the decision to remove Lowdon was his alone and was driven by the need to build something new and innovative, rather than improving an existing structure. He downplayed the significance of the team's on-track 'teething issues' in the timing of his decision, but acknowledged that reliability problems have hindered Cadillac's progress in its maiden season. The team has recorded only one two-car race finish in the seven races leading up to the summer break, with overheating brakes being a persistent issue. Budkowski, who starts work at the factory on Monday, stressed the need to urgently address these reliability issues, as they are preventing the team from getting the most out of its upgrade packages.
He noted that while some reliability issues are understandable for a new team, they must be fixed quickly to allow the team to accumulate data and understand the car better. Despite the speculation surrounding Sergio Perez's future, Towriss expressed confidence that the Mexican veteran will stay with Cadillac in 2027. He praised Perez's performance, saying he has been a 'tremendous asset' to the team and has driven well.
Towriss also acknowledged the rumors linking Cadillac to younger drivers, such as Rafael Camara, but said that he is happy with the current experienced duo and that there are no plans to change the lineup for 2027. However, he left the door open for potential changes in the future, saying that 'things can always change' in Formula 1.
Budkowski's appointment marks his first job at an F1 team since he left his executive director role at Alpine in 2022. He has remained a regular in the paddock due to his work with Polish TV and brings experience from his time at the FIA, where he headed up the technical department. Towriss underlined that Cadillac's ultimate goal is to win in Formula 1, and that the team needs to think both short-term and long-term to ensure it evolves in the best way to stay on top of future developments, such as the rise of AI technology.
The Formula 1 season resumes after the summer break with a Sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21-23, with every session live on Sky Sports.