AUGUST 14, 2026

Cadillac replaces team principal

Cadillac has dismissed Graeme Lowdon as its Formula 1 team principal and appointed former Alpine executive director Marcin Budkowski as his replacement, changing leadership midway through the American team's debut season.

The appointment took effect immediately during Formula 1's summer break. Budkowski will oversee Cadillac's racing operation for the first time at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, where the 2026 season resumes.

TWG Motorsports chief executive Dan Towriss confirmed that Lowdon's departure was not agreed mutually and that Lowdon learned of the decision on the morning Cadillac announced it. Towriss said he made the decision after a process that began several months earlier and included consideration of what Cadillac required for its next stage of development.

It was my decision — it wasn't a mutual decision, Towriss said during a media briefing following the announcement. He added that the timing was earlier than initially expected but described the summer break as the appropriate point for the change.

Towriss said the decision was a matter of performance and how circumstances had developed. Cadillac's public explanation says the team is moving on from its initial construction phase into a period centered on improving the car's performance and operating structure.

Lowdon had worked on the Cadillac project for nearly four years and was publicly named team principal in December 2024. He helped establish the organization before its entry into Formula 1, recruiting personnel and preparing operations across facilities in Britain and the United States.

Cadillac became Formula 1's 11th team in 2026, fielding a Ferrari-powered car for Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. The team entered the summer break last in the constructors' championship, with no points from 11 grands prix. Its best race result was 13th place, and had recorded nine retirements so far in the season.

Towriss described the decision as part of a broader transition from assembling a new team to developing an organization capable of moving up the grid. Towriss also rejected the suggestion that Lowdon had always intended to serve only as an interim principal. He said Lowdon's work covered almost four years of planning and construction and expressed respect for what the outgoing principal had accomplished.

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, Towriss said in the team's announcement. His contributions helped establish a strong foundation in our build-up phase, and we thank him for his commitment and wish him well.

Lowdon previously helped bring Virgin Racing into Formula 1 in 2010 and remained with the organization as it competed under the Marussia name. He left before the operation's final season as Manor in 2016. His experience establishing that earlier team was relevant to his work building Cadillac's entry.

Budkowski, 49, returns to a senior Formula 1 management position after working in broadcasting and consultancy following his departure from Alpine in January 2022.

The Polish engineer began his motorsport career as an aerodynamicist with Prost in 2001. He subsequently worked for Ferrari and McLaren, becoming McLaren's head of aerodynamics in 2012. He joined the FIA in 2014 and later led the governing body's Formula 1 technical department.

Budkowski moved from the FIA to Renault as executive technical director and remained with the Enstone organization as it became Alpine. During 2021, he shared responsibility for leading the team with racing director Davide Brivio, and included day-to-day operations as well as technical development, budgets and recruitment. He left Alpine in 2022.

Cadillac said Budkowski's technical background and management experience is central to his appointment. Towriss said the team's long-term objective was not merely to participate in Formula 1 but to build an operation capable of competing at the front.

As we enter this new era for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, Marcin brings exceptional F1 experience, technical expertise and strategic leadership that will strengthen our organization and help us develop the winning mindset, tools and processes required for long-term success, Towriss said.

Budkowski identified car development, coordination and race execution as his immediate areas of focus. He said Cadillac must maximize development within Formula 1's cost cap and ensure that all parts of the organization contribute effectively to competition.

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, Budkowski said. It is a privilege to be leading Cadillac Formula 1 Team's on-track efforts.

The team continues to operate from its Formula 1 base in Silverstone while developing additional infrastructure in the United States. Ferrari supplies Cadillac's current power unit and gearbox. General Motors is working toward introducing a Cadillac-branded Formula 1 power unit in 2029.

The team has announced no other personnel changes in connection with Budkowski's appointment.

The announcement ends Lowdon's tenure after 11 championship rounds. Cadillac has not announced the length of Budkowski's contract.