Cadillac F1 Leadership Change
Cadillac Appoints Veteran Marcin Budkowski F1 Team Principal for Performance Turnaround
Key Points
Budkowski will take charge immediately, with his first race weekend in the role set for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
Lowdon’s tenure as team principal began in December 2024 and he was a key architect of Cadillac’s original entry; his departure marks a leadership shift less than two seasons into the programme.
Cadillac’s MAC-26 has struggled with chassis compliance issues and aerodynamic instability, illustrating the technical uphill climb the team faces on track.
Budkowski’s background includes leading the FIA’s Formula 1 technical department and senior leadership roles at Renault/Alpine, underscoring a push for technical discipline and organisational efficiency; Cadillac’s leadership framed his appointment as returning a highly experienced operator to key build-out phase.
Cadillac F1 has replaced team principal Graeme Lowdon with veteran engineer Marcin Budkowski, effective immediately, Reuters reported. The change comes mid-season as Cadillac sits without a single championship point in its debut campaign.
Budkowski will take charge of both trackside and factory operations. His first race in the role will be the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, after the summer break, according to F1i.
Lowdon Out After Less Than Two Seasons in Charge
Graeme Lowdon joined Cadillac as team principal in December 2024. He was a key figure in securing the team's original entry into Formula 1. His departure comes fewer than two seasons into the programme, marking a swift and significant shift in leadership, Reuters reported.
The team started 2025 uncompetitively. Cadillac's MAC-26 car has faced chassis compliance issues and aerodynamic instability — meaning the car's body and wings have not performed as designed. That technical struggle left the team rooted at the back of the grid and without points.
Budkowski Brings Deep F1 Experience to the Role
Marcin Budkowski is a Polish-French engineer with senior roles across the sport. He has worked at Ferrari, McLaren, the FIA, and most recently led Renault's team, which later became Alpine, according to Reuters. He also ran the FIA's Formula 1 technical department, giving him a rare mix of team and regulatory experience.
That background makes Budkowski well suited to push for process discipline and faster decisions inside the team. F1i noted his appointment is seen as bringing a highly experienced operator back to a key phase of the team's build-out.
Cadillac Frames Move as Strategic Acceleration
Cadillac's leadership described the change as a deliberate pivot, not a panic move. The goal, they said, is to build a team capable of competing at the very front of the grid. That means aligning people, tools, and information flow to enable quick decisions on race day.
Budkowski's task is also to get the most out of car development within Formula 1's cost cap — the spending limit all teams must follow. Working efficiently within that limit is critical for a new team trying to close the gap to established rivals, according to Mix 929.
Zandvoort Sets the Clock on Budkowski's Impact
The Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort will be Budkowski's first race weekend in command. The circuit is known for its banked corners and high-speed layout, which puts strong demands on aerodynamic performance — the exact area where Cadillac has struggled most this season.
Whether Budkowski can quickly stabilise the team's operations and unlock performance remains to be seen. But Cadillac's leadership has made clear that the appointment signals urgency. The team wants to move from the back of the grid toward front-running competitiveness, and it believes Budkowski is the right person to lead that charge, Reuters reported.
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