Just when you thought the F1 paddock couldn’t get any more dramatic, Cadillac has dropped a bombshell by swapping out its team principal just months into its debut season.
Graeme Lowdon, the man who helped build the Cadillac F1 team from scratch and guided it through its rocky start, is out. In his place steps Marcin Budkowski, a seasoned veteran with over two decades of F1 experience, effective immediately.
The team released a statement calling it a “planned leadership transition” as they shift from building the foundation to chasing performance. Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss thanked Lowdon for his role in forming the team, saying his contributions helped establish a “strong foundation” during the build-up phase.
Budkowski isn’t a stranger to the spotlight. He made headlines back in 2017 when he left a top technical role at the FIA to join Renault, and later navigated the chaos at Alpine. Now, he’s back to lead Cadillac’s on-track efforts.
The team remains the only one on the grid without a single point this season, despite fielding a driver lineup featuring Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. Budkowski has already set his sights on improvement, stating his focus is on aligning the team’s people and tools so the car performs better every race weekend.
With the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort just around the corner, all eyes are on whether this shake-up will finally get Cadillac off the bottom of the standings. What do you think—was this the right move for the team’s future?
