Cadillac surprised on Wednesday with the announcement that team principal Graeme Lowdon has been immediately replaced by Marcin Budkowski. The American racing team is still firmly at the bottom of the constructors’ championship after eleven races. Partly for this reason, CEO Dan Towriss chose a new course. Budkowski, in turn, was convinced by ‘the ambitions’ of the project, after he had already spoken with more than half of the F1 grid about a return in a competitive role.
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“I have spoken with more than half of the teams on the grid over the past years,” Budkowski confirmed during a press conference. “Some teams are further advanced and others less so,” he noted. The choice ultimately fell on Cadillac, where especially the ambitions and the involvement of the underlying parties convinced him. “For me, it was important that when I return in a leadership role, I am part of a project I believe in.”
“What convinced me was the ambition within this project,” explained the 49-year-old Pole. “Cadillac is supported by the TWG Group, which is extremely involved in motorsport, and General Motors, one of the largest car manufacturers in the world with a lot of ambition and financial strength. That was not the case with the previous projects I was involved in. In addition, all the conversations I have also give me a lot of confidence,” Budkowski added. “All the people, including those in the board and the top of the team, come from motorsport. That is very refreshing – you immediately have a different kind of conversation.”
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Cadillac remains realistic about F1 chances
According to Budkowski, Cadillac also distinguishes itself by the realistic view of the enormous challenge the team faces. “There is the ambition to build a strong team and eventually become a competitive team that can fight at the front,” he explained. “But there is also a good understanding of how challenging it is and what the timeline looks like. This also appears from the conversations with Dan (Towriss, ed.); our visions strongly align and we have an eye for the same developments.” Budkowski therefore does not expect his new role to immediately lead to unrealistic pressure. “There will be certain expectations, and that is also logical within this role, but they are not unreasonable, given the reality of Formula 1.”
Budkowski has a long track record in Formula 1. After starting at Prost, he worked five years for Ferrari, after which he moved to McLaren. In 2014, he switched to the FIA, where he became technical and sporting coordinator. Six years later, Budkowski returned to the F1 grid and started as executive director at Renault. In 2021, he shared the duties of team principal with Davide Brivio before leaving the Enstone team in 2022. Since then, he has been active as a television commentator.
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