A week before the Formula 1 calendar rolls back into action at Zandvoort, Cadillac stunned the paddock by announcing a mid‑season reshuffle: long‑time team principal Graeme Lowdon was relieved of his duties and replaced by former Alpine director Marcin Budkowski. The move was confirmed by Cadillac F1’s chief executive Dan Towriss, who appeared alongside the incoming boss to answer questions about the abrupt change and other pressing topics facing the fledgling squad halfway through its inaugural campaign.
Although 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 – a mid‑season exit remains relatively rare compared with the frequency of managerial changes in sports like football. Consequently, Lowdon’s departure, which had not been hinted at in any prior media speculation, caught many observers off guard, especially given that Cadillac were only eleven races into their debut season and had repeatedly warned that they would likely spend most of the year fighting at the back of the grid.
Towriss explained that the original plan always involved Lowdon eventually handing over the reins to another leader for the next phase of Cadillac’s development. However, he admitted that “the timing for that transition arrived sooner than we anticipated.” He added, “Graeme and I have always known there would be a hand‑over at some point.
This decision was mine, based on a narrow window of opportunity to shape something new and innovative. I didn’t want to build a car that merely replicated what’s already been done and then try to tweak it.” He was quick to stress that the change was not driven by recent on‑track performance or the typical teething problems that new teams endure. Instead, Towriss highlighted the importance of having a clear, long‑term vision that aligns with the ambitions of the ownership group. “It’s about the rate of progress and ensuring that our development path matches what the owners expect,” he said.
Reliability has indeed been a major obstacle for Cadillac this season. In the seven races before the summer hiatus, the team managed only a single event where both cars finished the race. The MAC‑26 chassis has suffered repeatedly from overheating brakes, and the lack of finishers has limited the data the engineers can collect, hampering their ability to refine the car.
Budkowski, who began his tenure at the factory on a Monday, warned that these reliability concerns must be addressed “very, very urgently” if the team hopes to extract the full benefit from upcoming upgrade packages. “The early part of the season was riddled with reliability setbacks,” Budkowski acknowledged. “It’s understandable – we’re a brand‑new outfit with a fresh group of people learning together.
Failure is part of the learning curve in Formula 1. It’s not pleasant, but every retirement deprives us of valuable mileage, data, and insight into the car’s behaviour. We need to fix that quickly, otherwise there’s little point in developing parts we can’t actually race.” Cadillac’s driver line‑up reflects a strategic blend of experience and star power.
For their debut season the American‑backed team secured veteran Mexican driver Sergio Perez and former world champion Valtteri Bottas, together boasting over 500 Grand Prix starts and 16 race victories. So far, Perez has out‑performed Bottas, and his future has already been the subject of speculation, with rumors linking him to a possible move to Williams in 2027 should Carlos Sainz depart.
Towriss dismissed those whispers, affirming his confidence that Perez will remain with Cadillac beyond the current year. “Checo has been a tremendous asset. He’s driven exceptionally well and pushed the car hard.
I’m very confident he will stay with us and we’re not distracted by the Williams rumours for a second. We’re very confident in our relationship and you’ll see him piloting the Cadillac F1 car for the foreseeable future,” he said.
The team has also been linked with younger talent, most notably 21‑year‑old Brazilian Rafael Camara, the reigning Formula 3 champion who is currently third in his first Formula 2 season and enjoys backing from Ferrari. While Towriss expressed satisfaction with the current experienced duo, he did not rule out the possibility of adding a rising star later on. “It’s a great question whether a younger driver could come in and push the team. We have two experienced drivers we’re happy with, but Formula 1 is fluid – nothing is set in stone for 2027.
Rumours about young drivers are unsubstantiated, so they’re not a focus for us right now,” he explained. For Budkowski, the Cadillac appointment marks his first direct involvement with a Formula 1 team since leaving his executive director role at Alpine at the start of 2022. He has remained a visible figure in the paddock through regular commentary for Polish television, and his résumé includes stints at five different F1 outfits, three years heading the FIA’s technical department until 2017, and a period at Renault. Backed by General Motors, Cadillac ultimately aims to develop its own power unit, and Budkowski’s experience on both the regulatory and team sides of the sport is expected to be invaluable.
When asked how the sport has evolved during his four‑year hiatus from a frontline role, Budkowski observed, “The competition is ruthless. All the teams are highly professional and the level of performance is extraordinary. 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 regulatory process benefits the sport, yet there’s a lot of self‑interest involved, and I’ve seen that from my time at the FIA.” He added, “In the cost‑cap era you can’t simply buy performance or buy your way out of a mistake. You have to be the best in every detail.” Towriss reinforced that Cadillac’s ultimate goal is not merely participation but victory.
He emphasized the need to balance 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 simply shows up; we want a winning organization for the future.
We’re far from that point, but that’s the end goal for everyone – to evolve what’s in place now, improve it in the short term, and envision what an F1 team will look like years from now,” he said. He noted that the sport is undergoing massive regulatory changes this year, alongside broader societal shifts driven by AI. “AI is beginning to touch Formula 1, and the teams of the future will look very different from today’s outfits.
It will be about evolving the existing framework and staying ahead of technological advances.” The 2023 season will resume after the summer break with a sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, scheduled for 21‑23 August, with all sessions broadcast live on Sky Sports. Cadillac hopes the leadership change and urgent reliability work will enable them to finish the season stronger, gather more data, and lay a solid foundation for the ambitious road ahead.