Cadillac makes abrupt F1 team principal change with Budkowski in

Formula 1's newest team Cadillac has made a sudden and surprising change at the top, with Marcin Budkowski replacing Graeme Lowdon as team principal. The announcement came out of the blue, especially given Lowdon's pivotal role in building the project from its infancy.

Lowdon, the former chief of the now-defunct Manor F1 outfit, has stepped aside and seemingly left the team, as per a statement from the General Motors-backed squad. Team CEO Dan Towriss expressed gratitude, saying, "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. His contributions helped establish a strong foundation in our build-up phase."

Budkowski is a well-known figure in the F1 paddock, famous for his switch from an FIA/F1 technical role to a director position at Renault back in 2017—a move that ruffled feathers among rivals. He eventually left what became Alpine during one of its many leadership overhauls, but remained active as an analyst for Polish TV.

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Towriss described Budkowski's appointment as "another important step in the continued evolution" of Cadillac. The team's release also insisted it "follows a planned leadership transition as the organisation evolves from its initial build phase into the next stage of racing performance." Budkowski will assume his role publicly from the Dutch Grand Prix weekend.

It's a fascinating development, as Cadillac has yet to score points in F1 but has performed at or above expectation with its fragile-but-fairly-competitive MAC-26. For a good chunk of the season, it was even a clear step ahead of Aston Martin's 2026 car.

However, the team is likely to spend the rest of the campaign alone at the back, as immediate rivals are introducing development steps expected to eclipse its own plans for the 2026 car. With next year's car a bigger focus, this leadership change could be a signal that Cadillac is ready to accelerate its progress.