Cadillac F1 Team has announced the replacement of founding team principal Graeme Lowdon with Marcin Budkowski, a former Renault/Alpine executive. Budkowski’s 20-plus years in Formula 1 includes stints with Ferrari, McLaren, Renault/Alpine, and the FIA itself.
On Wednesday, the Cadillac Formula 1 team announced it has replaced its founding team principal Graeme Lowdon with former Renault/Alpine leading light Marcin Budkowski. The move is a clear indication that owner Dan Towriss wants to see progress made after the team’s difficult start to its first season.
View Price on AmazonThe news was confirmed on Wednesday in a statement that framed the change as a “planned leadership transition” as the team “evolves from its initial build phase into the next stage of racing performance.” The Polish-born Budkowski began his career as an aerodynamicist with Prost, before moving to Ferrari and then McLaren.
He then had a spell at the FIA before moving to the then Renault team as executive technical director. He eventually took over the equivalent responsibilities of team principal, although he wasn’t formally given that title. He left the team, by then known as Alpine, in early 2022. In recent years, he has served an F1 pundit for Polish TV, having failed in an attempt to revive the A1 GP single-seater series.
“Marcin's appointment marks another important step in the continued evolution of the Cadillac F1 Team," said Towriss. "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. Marcin brings exceptional F1 experience, technical expertise and strategic leadership that will strengthen our organization and help us develop the winning mindset, tools and processes required for long-term success.”
“Cadillac F1 Team has an extraordinary foundation and ambition,” said Budkowski. “This is a phase of huge opportunity for the team, one that will be defined by a clear objective—maximizing car development within the cost cap and turning every team function on to compete. That means building an elite organization with a winning mindset—driven, relentless in the face of setbacks, obsessed with detail and process, and able to execute with precision on race day. My focus will be on 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.”
Regarding the former team boss, Towriss said: “We’re grateful to Graeme Lowdon for his leadership and the role he played in forming the Cadillac F1 Team from the ground up. His contributions helped establish a strong foundation in our build-up phase, and we thank him for his commitment and wish him well.”
Source: roadandtrack.com
