Cadillac Ousts Lowdon, Budkowski Takes Over as F1 Boss

Graeme Lowdon has been ousted as Cadillac F1 team principal, with Marcin Budkowski stepping in from next weekend's Dutch Grand Prix. The American squad announced the change during the summer break, framing it as a planned leadership transition aimed at accelerating development in the second half of 2026.

But CEO Dan Towriss later revealed that Lowdon did not agree to the move and was only informed on Wednesday morning. "It wasn't a mutual decision," Towriss said in a media roundtable. He explained that the process had been underway for months, evaluating potential candidates before settling on Budkowski.

Towriss defended the sudden nature of the change, arguing that keeping talks with Budkowski private was necessary to avoid destabilizing the team while Lowdon was still in charge. "There's no easy way to make this transition within Formula 1," he said. "It becomes destabilising at that point, so it compresses the timeline and makes it feel more abrupt."

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Lowdon was a central figure in Cadillac's F1 project long before its grid debut, helping secure the team's entry before being appointed principal in December 2024. The 61-year-old previously established Virgin Racing and led it through its Marussia era. Towriss rejected claims that Lowdon was ever intended as a short-term placeholder. "It's almost a four-year period of planning and building," he said.

The departure comes 11 rounds into Cadillac's first campaign, with the Ferrari-powered newcomer yet to score a point and sitting last in the constructors' standings. Despite fielding experienced drivers in Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, the team's first season was always expected to involve a steep learning curve. Lowdon had previously emphasized that progress, not results, would define their early success.

Budkowski returns to an operational F1 role after more than four years away from Alpine. The Polish-French engineer has over two decades in the championship, having worked at Prost, Ferrari, and McLaren before moving to the FIA and later Renault. Towriss believes his technical and management background makes him the right leader for Cadillac's next phase. "From the beginning, our goal has been to build a next-generation team capable of competing at the very front," Towriss said.

Budkowski's immediate priorities include improving development efficiency and decision-making. "My focus will be on aligning our people, tools, and information flow so the right decisions are made quickly," he said. "It is a privilege to be leading Cadillac's on-track efforts, starting in Zandvoort."