Cadillac Sack Team Principal And Replace With Ex-Alpine Boss

Cadillac have made a major leadership change by removing founding team principal Graeme Lowdon and appointing former Alpine executive Marcin Budkowski as his successor.

Lowdon, who spent three years building the American outfit from the ground up before its Formula 1 debut, was informed of the decision on Wednesday.

Cadillac Team Principal Change Driven By Long-term

Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss said the move was driven by long‑term planning rather than recent reliability issues, including the brake overheating problems that have disrupted several race weekends.

He explained that both he and Lowdon had previously discussed a future transition, but the organisation’s development timeline meant the change needed to happen sooner than expected.

Towriss said the team must pursue a fresh and innovative structure rather than rely on older models of operation.

Budkowski arrives with extensive experience across Formula 1.

He worked at Renault and Alpine between 2017 and 2022, serving most recently as executive director, and previously led the FIA’s technical department.

His earlier career included roles at McLaren, Ferrari and Prost. At Cadillac, he will reunite with several former colleagues, including chief technical officer Nick Chester.

In a statement, Budkowski described the current phase as a significant opportunity.

He said the team must maximise development within the cost cap and ensure every department is aligned to compete effectively.

His focus will be on improving decision‑making, sharpening processes and ensuring the car gains performance at each event.

Lowdon, formerly a senior figure at Manor/Marussia, has compared the challenge of creating a new team to a moon‑landing project.

Cadillac acknowledged from the outset that competitiveness would take time, and the squad has yet to score a point in its first 11 races with experienced drivers Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas.

The team’s infrastructure remains complex, with operations spread across multiple facilities near Silverstone, as well as General Motors sites in Michigan and North Carolina.

A new headquarters in Fishers, Indiana, will eventually become Cadillac’s main base, though a UK presence will continue.