Cadillac has split with inaugural team principal Graeme Lowdon, with former Renault boss Marcin Budkowski taking his place immediately.
Lowdon’s shock departure comes just 20 months after he was appointed to the top of the nascent team and only 11 races into Cadillac’s debut Formula 1 season.
The team did not give a reason for the abrupt change in management in an announcement made during what is typically part of the regulatory mid-season shutdown.
Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
“We’re grateful to Graeme Lowdon for his leadership and the role he played in forming the Cadillac Formula 1 team from the ground up,” team CEO Dan Towriss said.
“His contributions helped establish a strong foundation in our build-up phase, and we thank him for his commitment and wish him well.”
The General Motors-owned team described the switch from Lowdon to Budkowski as “a planned leadership transition”, though Lowdon was not quoted in the press release announcing his departure and was not listed to appear in a press conference scheduled later in the day.
Budkowski, 49 years old, has been a familiar face in the Formula 1 paddock for more than two decades, having enjoyed stints working for Prost, Ferrari, McLaren, Renault and governing body the FIA.
He was most recently a director of the Alpine team but quit the role in 2022 amid the brand’s waves of managerial convulsions as it struggled to travel on its ambitious title-winning trajectory. He has since worked as a pundit for Polish television.
Cadillac described his acquisition as “strengthening the organisation’s leadership team as it continues its inaugural Formula 1 season” and “evolves from its initial build phase into the next stage of racing performance”.
“Marcin’s appointment marks another important step in the continued evolution of the Cadillac Formula 1 team,” 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.
“As we enter this new era for the Cadillac Formula 1 team, Marcin brings exceptional F1 experience, technical expertise and strategic leadership that will strengthen our organisation and help us develop the winning mindset, tools and processes required for long-term success.”
Cadillac enjoyed a strong start to its first season in Formula 1, with the team immediately proving wrong those who were sceptical its cars could qualify for the opening race of the season in Australia after having received its formal F1 just 12 months earlier.
The American-owned, British-based team has made steady upward progress from there, even moving ahead of Aston Martin in terms of pure pace before the more established team brought its game-changing upgrade to Hungary just before the break.
