Marcin Budkowski: How his former role as a TV pundit is helping him

Marcin Budkowski has been team principal at Cadillac for several months – the Pole reveals how, amongst other things, his previous role as a TV pundit is helping him in his new job

Before Marcin Budkowski joined Cadillac as team principal this summer, the 49-year-old spent some time working as a TV pundit for Polish television. Speaking to F1.com, he reveals how his experience in that role is helping him in his new role.

“It gave me a slightly better insight into how Formula 1 is perceived by the outside world, because when you work in this job, you spend so much time at the factory or on the circuit that you sometimes lose sight of that perspective,” he explains.

Budkowski therefore considers the outside perspective “very useful”, he says, adding: “There’s a lot going on behind the scenes too. There are political aspects and interesting dynamics in the paddock that you need to understand.”

At the same time, however, the new team principal also points out: “Before my time in the media, I did a few other things that probably have a slightly greater influence on my suitability for this role than my work as a TV pundit.”

Budkowski’s Formula 1 career began 25 years ago, when he joined the then Prost team as an aerodynamicist in 2001. He subsequently worked for several years at Ferrari, McLaren, Renault (now Alpine) and the FIA.

Budkowski wants to “avoid bad decisions”

At Cadillac, perhaps his greatest challenge now awaits him, as the US team – being a completely new outfit – must work its way up from the very bottom. “In modern Formula 1, there are no shortcuts,” Budkowski notes, explaining: “It’s simply a matter of a lot of hard work.”

“But the most important thing isn’t making good decisions, but avoiding bad ones,” he says, adding: “We have to get the best out of our car in every session and at every race weekend.”

“That will put us on the path to gradually competing in the midfield and, hopefully, eventually building an organisation capable of fighting for podium places, victories and championships,” says Budkowski, who nevertheless also emphasises: “That’s not what today is about.”

“Today is about completing the build-up of a strong team, setting the right priorities and charting the right course,” says the Pole. “That will take a while,” he realises, but stresses: “We are winners.”

“As long as we’re not on the podium, we won’t be satisfied with ourselves and we’ll continue to give it our all.”