New Cadillac F1 Boss Sets Clear First Priority After Graeme Lowdon Exit

Marcin Budkowski takes over as Cadillac F1 team principal after Graeme Lowdon’s dismissal on August 12. The move targets stability as Cadillac remains point-less in 2026. See the team change background.

The former Alpine technical chief sets communication and workflow clarity as his first tasks. He plans immediate factory immersion before leading trackside at Zandvoort.

Cadillac loses its only provisional point when Sergio Perez’s Monaco tenth becomes a penalty. Overheating brakes have hampered both Perez and Valtteri Bottas across multiple events.

Suspension trouble ends Perez’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the final race before the break. The 24‑race calendar strains cohesion, reducing face time between factory and track crews. Read more on the post‑break outlook.

“My first priority is going to be to listen, honestly, listen and observe in the factory because I need to meet the people.”Budkowski intends to split time between headquarters and the garage. The aim is faster feedback loops, consistent fault replication, and tighter escalation when issues appear at circuits.

He highlights the factory‑track interface as the performance hinge. Reliability crises often distort priorities, so aligning departments and protecting run plans becomes essential.

An organisational review is underway. Processes, tools, and in‑development programs will be mapped, with ownership, sign‑off gates, and delivery timelines clarified to cut latency in decision‑making.

General Motors’ US base offers additional leverage. Budkowski wants deeper access to simulation, materials, test capability, and systems engineering, including expertise developed in advanced and space‑related programs.

He accepts the team and car were created at speed. Gains will be incremental, not instant, while culture and tools bed in. See Budkowski’s leadership approach for more context.

Cadillac is the only team without a point after the opening 11 races of 2026.Short term, the objective is reliability, repeatable execution, and opportunistic scoring. Clean weekends and robust race runs are prioritised over speculative set‑up swings.

The leadership reset follows a difficult opening phase. The decision to remove Lowdon underlines urgency, but Budkowski’s method stresses process over quick fixes.

Budkowski aims to tighten the factory‑track link to accelerate fixes and protect performance runs.

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