A week before the Formula 1 calendar rolls back into action at Zandvoort, Cadillac shocked the paddock by announcing a leadership shake‑up during the sport’s summer hiatus: Graeme Lowdon was removed from his role as team principal and succeeded by former Alpine boss Marcin Budkowski. The change was confirmed by Cadillac F1 chief executive Dan Towriss, who appeared alongside the incoming principal shortly after the news broke to explain the rationale behind the move and to touch on other hot topics surrounding the newcomer team midway through its inaugural campaign.
While the turnover of team principals has become more common in recent years—every constructor except Mercedes has swapped its head since the close of 2022—mid‑season dismissals remain relatively rare when compared with the frequency of managerial changes in football. Consequently, Lowdon’s abrupt exit, which had not been the subject of any public speculation, caught many observers off guard, especially given that Cadillac were only eleven races into their debut season and had consistently warned that they would likely be fighting at the back of the grid for much of the year. Towriss explained that the original plan had always involved Lowdon eventually handing over the reins to another figure as the project moved into its next developmental phase.
However, he admitted that the timing of the transition arrived sooner than anticipated. “Graeme and I always knew there would be a hand‑over at some point,” Towriss said, adding that the decision was ultimately his. “There’s a very narrow window of opportunity when you look at what we’re building, and I didn’t want to create something that simply replicated what’s already been done.
The need for a fresh, innovative direction arrived earlier than we expected. It isn’t about recent performance hiccups; it’s about aligning the pace of progress with the ambitions of the owners.” Although Towriss downplayed the impact of the rookie team’s early‑season “teething problems,” Cadillac’s first year has undeniably been hampered by reliability setbacks.
In the seven races leading up to the summer break, the squad managed only a single event where both cars finished, with persistent brake‑overheating on the MAC‑26 chassis proving a recurring obstacle. Budkowski, who began his duties at the factory on the following Monday, emphasized the urgency of addressing these reliability concerns.
“We need to fix the durability issues very, very urgently because they are preventing us from extracting the full benefit of the upgrade packages we bring to the track,” he said. “It’s understandable that a brand‑new team will experience failures – learning and failing go hand‑in‑hand in Formula 1. However, each retirement deprives us of valuable data. Without a car that can finish, we can’t gather the mileage needed to understand and improve the package.” The American‑backed outfit, the first true start‑up to enter F1 in a decade, deliberately bolstered its driver line‑up with seasoned talent, signing former world champion Sergio Perez and former race‑winner Valtteri Bottas, who together bring over 500 Grand Prix starts and 16 victories.
So far, Perez has out‑performed Bottas, and despite ongoing speculation linking the Mexican veteran with a possible move to Williams for 2027, Towriss expressed confidence that Perez will remain with Cadillac. “Checo has been a tremendous asset. He’s driven exceptionally well and pushed the car hard.
I’m very confident he’ll stay with us, and we’re not distracted by the Williams rumours at all,” Towriss affirmed. Cadillac has also been mentioned in connection with younger prospects, notably 21‑year‑old Brazilian Rafael Camara, the reigning F3 champion who currently sits third in his debut F2 season and enjoys backing from Ferrari. While Towriss said he is “very happy” with the current experienced duo, he did not rule out the possibility of bringing a youthful driver into the fold in the future.
“It’s a great question whether a younger driver could add extra push. We have two experienced drivers who are delivering, but Formula 1 is fluid – nothing is set in stone for 2027,” he explained. “The rumors about young drivers aren’t substantiated, so they’re not a focus right now.” For Budkowski, the Cadillac appointment marks his first full‑time F1 role since leaving Alpine in early 2022, where he served as executive director.
He has remained a visible figure in the paddock through his work with Polish television and brings a wealth of experience from three years at the FIA’s technical department (until 2017) and a stint with Renault. Backed by General Motors, which ultimately intends to develop its own power unit, Budkowski’s background straddles both the regulatory and team‑side of the sport.
When asked how the sport had evolved during his four‑year hiatus from a frontline position, Budkowski observed, “The competition is incredibly ruthless. Every team is now ultra‑professional and highly competitive.
The rules have changed, but the game remains the same. My focus isn’t on individual regulations but on steering the regulatory environment to our advantage. The process exists for the sport’s good, yet there’s a lot of self‑interest involved, and I’ve seen that from my FIA days.” He added, “In the era of the cost cap, you can’t simply buy performance or buy your way out of mistakes. You have to be the best in every detail.” Towriss also stressed that Cadillac’s ultimate goal is not merely participation but championship contention.
He highlighted the necessity of balancing short‑term fixes with long‑term strategic planning, especially as Formula 1 embraces new technologies such as artificial intelligence. “Our ambition is to build more than a team that merely shows up; we want a winning organisation for the future,” the 54‑year‑old executive said. “We’re far from that point, but it’s the end goal for everyone.
The sport is undergoing massive regulatory changes this year, and society is seeing AI infiltrate many areas, including motorsport. It’s still early, but the teams of tomorrow will look very different. We must evolve what we have now, improve it in the short term, and envision what an F1 team will look like in the years ahead.” The Formula 1 calendar will resume after the summer break with a sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort from 21‑23 August, with all sessions broadcast live on Sky Sports.
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