Cadillac Wouldn't Be on Grid Without Graeme Lowdon, Says Will Buxton

Cadillac's decision to replace Graeme Lowdon as team principal after just 11 races of its debut season came as a surprise to many. However, former F1 TV presenter Will Buxton has insisted that without Lowdon, the American outfit might never have made it to the grid.

Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast alongside David Coulthard and Naomi Schiff, Buxton highlighted Lowdon's crucial role during the team's construction phase. According to him, Lowdon's experience in building Manor/Marussia from scratch was key to establishing Cadillac in the paddock.

"I think they probably brought Graeme in to be the team principal in the building phase because he had that experience and knowledge from his time with Manor/Marussia. He knew what it took to build a team from nothing. And he did that fantastically," Buxton said.

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"It's safe to say Cadillac wouldn't be on the grid without Graeme, without his experience and the work he did to build that team up, put the right people in place, and get them ready to race."

Buxton also acknowledged that Lowdon himself had admitted his expertise might not be suited for the long term. "He himself admitted not long ago that he had a fairly narrow window of expertise. I don't know if that was a discussion he had with the team or the team had with him, but there was certainly a realization on his part that he probably wasn't going to be the long-term option," he added.

Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss confirmed the decision was not mutual and that Lowdon was only informed on the morning of the announcement. Buxton viewed the move as a pragmatic business decision, even if it seemed harsh.

"It's not that Graeme was doing a bad job, but they needed somebody now to take this on and move it to the next stage. And we all know how long it takes in Formula 1 to change direction. The earlier you can get somebody in, the better it is for all involved because you then have a greater influence on what's coming down the line in 2027, 2028 and so on. There perhaps isn't any place for niceties in that regard when you want to be as competitive as possible," Buxton explained.

With Lowdon's successor, Marcin Budkowski, who boasts strong technical credentials from Renault and the FIA, Cadillac now enters a new chapter. The question remains: will the foundation left by Lowdon be enough to push the team into the midfield battle? Only time will tell.