Cadillac appoints Marcin Budkowski as new team principal
Cadillac has shaken up its Formula 1 leadership midway through the summer break, installing Marcin Budkowski as team principal in place of Graeme Lowdon, reports BritPanorama.
The 49-year-old Polish-French engineer, who brings more than twenty years of experience in the paddock, takes charge of the grid’s newest outfit with immediate effect. His appointment was confirmed by the team on Wednesday.
Budkowski’s most recent stint in the sport was as executive director at Alpine, a position he held through 2021 and into early 2022. Prior to that, he accumulated senior engineering and management roles at some of F1’s most storied operations.
Lowdon, 61, had been instrumental in establishing the American manufacturer’s entry from the outset, having helped navigate the complex process of securing a grid slot before being named team principal in December 2024. His departure was confirmed in an official team statement. The team’s release described the change as a “planned leadership transition” marking the shift from an initial construction phase to a new stage focused on racing performance.
CEO Dan Towriss expressed his appreciation for the outgoing principal’s contribution. “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,” he said. “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 served as CEO of the Virgin and Marussia teams and later worked in driver management before joining the Cadillac project.
Towriss framed the timing of the transition as deliberate, telling media that the summer break represented an “inflection point” as the squad looks to shift its focus towards putting points on the board. Budkowski’s career in the sport stretches back to 2001, when he began as an engineer with the Prost team, followed by a five-year spell at Ferrari during a period that overlapped with Michael Schumacher’s dominance.
A stint at the FIA followed, during which he served as F1 technical and sporting coordinator, effectively overseeing the series’ technical department. He then joined Renault in 2017 as executive technical director, managing daily operations alongside recruitment, HR, and finance responsibilities. Towriss made clear the ambition behind the appointment. “From the beginning, our goal has not been simply to participate in Formula 1, but to build a next-generation team capable of competing at the very front,” he declared. “Marcin brings exceptional F1 experience, technical expertise, and strategic leadership that will strengthen our organization.”
Cadillac remains the sole team on the 2026 grid without a single championship point after the opening eleven races. Their Ferrari-powered MAC-26 has been plagued by technical problems and a persistent lack of pace. The situation grew more acute at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Aston Martin — previously languishing alongside Cadillac at the rear of the field — vaulted into midfield contention with a double points-adjacent finish. Both Cadillacs retired from that race, compounding concerns over reliability.
Budkowski acknowledged the scale of the task ahead. “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,” he said. He confirmed he would take the reins at the Dutch Grand Prix on 23 August, expressing enthusiasm by noting, “It is a privilege to be leading Cadillac Formula 1 Team’s on-track efforts, starting in Zandvoort next weekend.”
As Cadillac embarks on this new chapter, the pressures of performance in a highly competitive environment weigh heavily. Budkowski’s experience will be crucial, but the clock is ticking for the team to turn its fortunes around.
