Cadillac replaced founding Formula 1 team principal Graeme Lowdon with Marcin Budkowski on August 12, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Lowdon, 61, led Cadillac from its formation in 2024 through its F1 debut in March 2026 [1, 2, 3]. Budkowski, 49, has worked with teams including Prost, Ferrari, McLaren, FIA, and Renault/Alpine and brings "exceptional F1 experience, technical expertise and strategic leadership," CEO Dan Towriss said [1, 2, 3, 4].
Cadillac is the only F1 team without points after 11 rounds in the 2026 season [1, 3, 4]. The team’s drivers, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, both have four DNFs each this season [1, 4]. Towriss said Budkowski’s appointment marks a planned leadership shift to move the team from its build phase toward competitive results. He emphasized the decision was not directly caused by recent reliability issues such as overheating brakes but "about just having a clear vision on what we're building in the future" [2].
Lowdon was informed of the replacement on the morning of August 12 [2]. Towriss thanked him for his contributions, calling Lowdon instrumental in establishing Cadillac’s F1 foundation and wishing him well [4]. Budkowski said his focus will be "aligning our people, tools and information flow so the right decisions are made quickly, and the performance of the car improves every time we go racing" [1].
Cadillac debuted in F1 under Lowdon’s leadership in March 2026 but has yet to score points through 11 races [1, 3]. Towriss said, "from the beginning, our goal has not been simply to participate in Formula 1, but to build a next-generation team capable of competing at the very front" [4].
The next race for Cadillac is the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on August 23, 2026, the first event after the summer break [1, 3, 4].
