F1 team boss removed from role as replacement announced… Read More

F1 team boss removed from role as replacement announced

Cadillac have made a major change to their Formula 1 leadership structure, announcing that Graeme Lowdon has left his position as team principal during the team’s debut season. His departure has been followed by the immediate appointment of Marcin Budkowski, who will lead the American outfit for the remainder of the campaign.

The decision represents a significant moment for Cadillac as the team continues its first year on the Formula 1 grid. Lowdon played an important role in helping establish the organisation and guiding it through the complicated process of entering the championship. However, Cadillac have now decided that the team needs a different leadership approach as it moves into the next stage of its development.

According to Cadillac, the change was part of a planned leadership transition rather than an unexpected crisis. The team explained that its organisation is moving away from the initial construction and preparation phase and towards a stronger focus on racing performance and long-term competitiveness.

Lowdon’s departure brings an end to his involvement with Cadillac after he helped build the project from its foundations. Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss praised the former team principal for his contribution, saying that his leadership had been important in creating the structure that allowed the new team to enter Formula 1.

The appointment of Budkowski gives Cadillac an experienced figure with a lengthy background in the sport. The Polish engineer has spent more than two decades working in Formula 1 and has held senior technical and management positions. He previously worked with the FIA before moving to Renault in 2017, where he became part of the team’s senior leadership structure.

Budkowski’s return adds considerable Formula 1 experience to a Cadillac organisation that is still learning how to compete at the highest level. His immediate challenge will be improving the team’s decision-making, technical development and overall performance as the season progresses.

Cadillac’s debut campaign has so far been difficult on the results front. The team entered the season with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas as its driver pairing, but it had yet to score a championship point at the time of the announcement. That leaves Budkowski with plenty of work to do as he attempts to help the team close the gap to its more established rivals.

Speaking about his new position, Budkowski outlined a clear priority: improving how the team works both inside and outside the garage. He is expected to focus on bringing Cadillac’s personnel, information and technical processes together so that important decisions can be made more efficiently.

His first major opportunity to put the new structure into practice will come at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. The race will mark an important early test of Cadillac’s new leadership as the team attempts to turn its extensive preparation into stronger results on track.

For Cadillac, the leadership change signals that the focus is now shifting from simply establishing itself in Formula 1 to building a competitive operation capable of challenging more experienced teams. Lowdon helped create the foundations, but Budkowski has now been handed responsibility for taking the project forward.

With the remainder of the 2026 season still ahead, the spotlight will be firmly on Budkowski and Cadillac to see whether the change can produce an improvement in performance.