New Cadillac F1 Boss: My First Priority Is to Listen

Marcin Budkowski has officially taken over as Cadillac F1 team principal, replacing Graeme Lowdon who was ousted on August 12. The former Alpine technical chief has made his first priority clear: listen and observe before making any big moves.

The leadership change comes amid a painful debut season for Cadillac. After 11 rounds, the American squad remains the only constructor yet to score a single point. Even their one golden opportunity through Sergio Perez in Monaco was dashed by a start infringement penalty.

The issues go beyond raw pace, though. Overheating brakes and suspension problems have become recurring nightmares, frequently taking out both Perez and Valtteri Bottas. The latest incident came in Hungary, where both drivers retired before the summer break.

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Budkowski, who will begin full duties ahead of the Dutch GP, is well aware that reliability woes can create internal rifts. "My first priority is to listen and observe at the factory. I need to understand how they work, how the various departments collaborate," he told media, including RacingNews365.

From his F1 experience, he sees a huge risk when a team suffers technical issues: the disconnect between trackside operations and the factory. "That link needs to be very, very strong. That's why I'll spend my first week between the factory and the track at Zandvoort to see both sides of the team," he explained.

He also highlighted the vast potential within General Motors, which he believes hasn't been fully tapped. "They're sending spaceships to Mars, but there's a lot of technical expertise in the US that we can leverage. It won't be immediate, but it would be foolish not to look at the talent across the pond," he added.

With 24 races in a season, Budkowski sees the factory-track connection as a unique challenge. "Back when we had 16 races, people spent more time together. That's no longer the case. So I want to make sure both sides operate as one team."

Budkowski's first steps will be a test of whether he can turn Cadillac's fortunes around. All eyes will be on Zandvoort, where he begins crafting a rescue mission for the season.