Marcin Budkowski, bringing two decades of Formula 1 experience, joins the rookie Cadillac team and is set to lead it “into the next phase of performance”
Cadillac’s Formula 1 program has a new team principal. As the U.S. racing team announced on Wednesday, Marcin Budkowski is taking over Graeme Lowdon’s duties effective immediately. The team describes this as “a planned leadership transition as the organization evolves from its initial development phase into the next phase of on-track performance.”
Budkowski joins Cadillac with more than two decades of Formula 1 experience. He has worked as an aerodynamicist for the Prost, Ferrari, and McLaren teams, as well as briefly serving as team principal for Renault and Alpine.
In addition, Budkowski served as technical director for the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). While the 49-year-old Pole now assumes the role of team principal at Cadillac, the previous team principal, Graeme Lowdon, is leaving the team.
“Marcin’s appointment is another important step in the ongoing development of Cadillac’s Formula 1 team,” explains CEO Dan Towriss. “From the very beginning, our goal has been not simply to participate in Formula 1, but to build a next-generation team capable of competing at the very front of the field.”
“As we embark on this new era for Cadillac, Marcin brings exceptional Formula 1 experience, technical expertise, and strategic leadership skills. These will strengthen our organization and help us develop the winning mindset, tools, and processes necessary for long-term success.”
Budkowski himself commented on his appointment, saying: “The Cadillac Formula 1 team has an exceptional foundation and great ambitions. The team is currently in a phase full of opportunities, and the goal is clear: to maximize vehicle development within the budget cap and optimally align all team functions with the competition.”
“My focus,” the new Cadillac team principal continued, “will be on aligning our people, tools, and information flows so that the right decisions are made quickly and the car’s performance improves with every race. It is a privilege to lead the Cadillac Formula 1 team’s racing activities, starting with Zandvoort next weekend.”
While Budkowski takes over effective immediately, CEO Dan Towriss also had a few words for the outgoing team principal: “We are grateful to Graeme Lowdon for his leadership and the contribution he made in building the Cadillac Formula 1 team from the ground up. His contribution was instrumental in laying a solid foundation during our formative phase. We thank him for his dedication and wish him all the best.”