Cadillac announced that it has terminated the contract of team principal Graeme Lowdon and installed former Alpine executive director Marcin Budkowski at the helm, describing the move as part of a "planned leadership transition" that the organization had been preparing for since its entry into Formula 1 in 2026. Budkowski, a 49‑year‑old engineer with Polish‑French heritage, last worked in the sport as Alpine's executive director before departing in 2022. He now steps into a role that comes at a challenging moment for the American‑backed squad, which remains the only team on the 2026 grid that has yet to score a championship point after the first eleven rounds. The Dutch Grand Prix, scheduled for August 21‑23 at Zandvoort, will mark Budkowski's debut race as the chief decision‑maker for Cadillac.
The event follows a four‑week summer hiatus and will be contested as a Sprint weekend, offering the new principal his first opportunity to put his strategic vision into practice on race day. Lowdon had been appointed to lead the Cadillac project in December 2024. During his tenure he oversaw the team's initial build‑up, the recruitment of drivers Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas, and the logistical effort required to bring the American‑owned outfit onto the Formula 1 grid.
In a statement, Cadillac’s chief executive Dan Towriss praised Lowdon’s contributions, saying, "Marcin's appointment marks another important step in the continued evolution of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team. 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. As we enter this new era, 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." While the official team communication framed the change as a pre‑planned succession, there had been no prior hint that Lowdon would be removed before the conclusion of Cadillac's inaugural season. The lack of points is not entirely unexpected for a brand‑new entrant, but the team has also suffered a spate of reliability problems.
Over the first eleven races, Pérez and Bottas have retired from nine Grands Prix combined, and the reliability curve has actually worsened as the season progressed. Only once in the last seven events have both cars reached the checkered flag, underscoring the technical challenges the squad faces.
Towriss added a note of gratitude for Lowdon, stating, "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." In a later virtual press conference, Towriss confirmed that the decision to dismiss Lowdon was his alone and that the British executive learned of his termination only hours before the public announcement. "It was my decision, it wasn't a mutual decision," he said.
"The process started a few months ago to explore what the next phase for Cadillac F1 looks like, the right timing, and how that would unfold. The capabilities of various candidates were assessed, and we were delighted with the conversation we had with Marcin and how that relationship evolved." Towriss explained the logistical difficulty of making such a change mid‑season, noting the potential media frenzy if Budkowski were seen touring the factory or engaging in informal discussions before an official handover. "It becomes destabilising at that point.
It's important to respect the leadership that's in place at that time, so it does compress the timeline in how these things come together. It makes it feel more abrupt than it would be otherwise. But it's the nature of F1 and it's the way it had to happen," he added. Budkowski brings a résumé that spans several top‑tier teams and governing bodies.
He has held engineering and managerial positions at Prost, Ferrari, McLaren and the FIA before joining Renault/Alpine, where he spent four years shaping the program before his 2022 departure. Upon his appointment, 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." He continued, "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’s emphasis on rapid decision‑making and continuous car development aligns with the sport's 2026 regulations, which impose a strict cost cap while encouraging technical innovation.
By streamlining internal communication and sharpening the team's operational efficiency, he hopes to turn the current reliability woes into a platform for learning and progress. The Dutch Grand Prix will therefore serve as both a test of Budkowski’s leadership and a barometer for Cadillac's ability to recover from a difficult start. If the team can finish both cars and perhaps even challenge for points, it would signal a swift turnaround and validate the strategic shift announced by the management. Conversely, continued retirements would underscore the depth of the engineering challenges that still need to be addressed.
Cadillac’s journey this season illustrates the steep learning curve faced by new entrants in the pinnacle of motorsport. While the lack of points and the high retirement rate have drawn criticism, the organization’s willingness to make decisive leadership changes demonstrates a commitment to long‑term competitiveness.
As the sport returns from its summer break, all eyes will be on Zandvoort to see whether Marcin Budkowski can translate his extensive experience into tangible performance gains for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team.