Key Takeaways (TL;DR):
- Leadership Shakeup: Cadillac announced on Wednesday (August 12) that former Alpine Executive Director Marcin Budkowski will take over as Team Principal, replacing Graeme Lowdon.
- Debut Season Challenges: The managerial change follows a difficult opening 11 races for Cadillac’s inaugural 2026 campaign, marked by reliability issues, brake overheating, and component failures.
- Immediate Transition: Budkowski will assume operational leadership on the pit wall starting at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort.
Cadillac confirmed on Wednesday (August 12) the appointment of Marcin Budkowski as its new Formula 1 Team Principal. Amid the summer shutdown and following the first 11 rounds of the 2026 season, the American squad announced that the engineer will replace Graeme Lowdon at the helm of the project starting at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Budkowski began his F1 career in 2001 as an aerodynamicist for Prost Grand Prix. He later joined Ferrari, where he worked from 2002 to 2007 during the team’s championship-winning era. He subsequently served at McLaren between 2007 and 2014, before leading operations at Alpine until early 2022. Most recently, Budkowski worked as a technical analyst for Viaplay’s F1 broadcasts.
“Cadillac announces today that Marcin Budkowski has been named Team Principal, strengthening the organization’s leadership structure during its inaugural Formula 1 season. Budkowski joins the team with more than two decades of F1 experience and will help lead the team’s ongoing operational growth and long-term competitive development. The appointment follows a planned leadership transition plan as the organization evolves from its initial build phase to its next stage of motorsport performance,” the team stated in an official release.
Cadillac’s F1 journey is in its early stages. As a brand-new entrant building an operation from the ground up, early growing pains were anticipated. However, the team faced basic operational and reliability setbacks across its first 11 races, ranging from chronic brake overheating to structural component failures on track.
“Marcin’s appointment represents another important step in Cadillac’s ongoing evolution. From the beginning, our goal was never simply to participate in Formula 1, but to build a next-generation team capable of competing at the front. As we enter this new era for Cadillac, Marcin brings exceptional F1 experience, technical knowledge, and strategic leadership that will strengthen our organization and help us build the winning mindset, tools, and processes required for long-term success,” said Dan Towriss, CEO of the team.
“We are grateful to Graeme Lowdon for his leadership and the role he played in building Cadillac from the start. His contributions helped establish a solid foundation during our initial setup phase, and we thank him for his commitment and wish him the best,” Towriss added.
Budkowski praised Cadillac’s infrastructure and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to return to team management.
“Cadillac has an extraordinary foundation and huge ambition. This is a phase of great opportunity for the team, which will be defined by a clear objective: maximizing car development within the cost cap and aligning every department in pursuit of competitiveness. That means building an elite organization with a winning mindset—determined, relentless in the face of obstacles, obsessed with details and processes, and capable of executing with precision on race day,” Budkowski said.
“My focus will be on aligning our people, tools, and information flow so that the right decisions are made quickly and car performance improves every time we hit the track. It is a privilege to lead Cadillac’s trackside operations, starting at Zandvoort next weekend,” the new Team Principal concluded.
Formula 1 is currently in its summer break. Track action for the 2026 season resumes August 21–23 with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who is Cadillac’s new F1 Team Principal?
Marcin Budkowski, former Alpine Executive Director and technical engineer at Ferrari and McLaren, was named Team Principal of Cadillac’s F1 team on August 12, 2026.
Who did Marcin Budkowski replace at Cadillac?
Budkowski replaced Graeme Lowdon, who served as Team Principal through the team’s initial setup and first 11 races of the 2026 season.
