Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss has explained why the Formula 1 team accelerated its planned leadership transition and replaced Graeme Lowdon with Marcin Budkowski as team principal. The change had always been part of Cadillac’s longer-term plans, but Towriss believes the moment to act arrived considerably earlier than initially expected.
Cadillac delivered the first major internal shake-up of its young Formula 1 project during the summer break. Graeme Lowdon, the team principal who helped launch General Motors’ Cadillac programme in F1, was replaced by Marcin Budkowski as the American operation moves into a new phase of its development.
Why Cadillac accelerated its F1 team principal change
Cadillac had already intended to replace Graeme Lowdon at some stage. Dan Towriss, CEO of the Formula 1 team, confirmed that a transition had long been discussed, although there had been no fixed timetable for when it would happen.
“Any time there is a transition, it is always difficult,” Dan Towriss said. “Graeme and I have always talked about the fact that, at some point, there would be a transition. We had not set a timeline for it. Our aim was to wait, see and understand when the right moment would be. This decision was mine and I think there is a very narrow window of opportunity.”
What ultimately convinced Dan Towriss to bring the change forward was the possibility of building something different from the conventional model used when creating a Formula 1 organisation from the ground up.
“When you look at what we’re building, there is an opportunity to build something new and innovative. What I didn’t want to do was to build something that’s already been done, something that’s old and then try to improve it. So I think that the time for that change came sooner than was expected.”
That decision comes during a challenging debut campaign in which Cadillac has been learning not only how to develop its Formula 1 car, but also how to establish the processes and structure of an entirely new racing organisation. Its first half of the 2026 F1 season has highlighted several areas in which further progress is required.
Cadillac admits growing pains during its debut F1 season
Across its first seven months as a Formula 1 team, Cadillac has encountered difficulties in a number of areas, ranging from component production to the adoption of new technologies such as artificial intelligence.
“A lot of those issues, which to different degrees do exist, I think are teething issues,” the Cadillac F1 CEO admitted.
“I think in new organisations, communication is always going to be a focal point to improve, making sure things are organised correctly, aligned correctly, and maintaining morale through that building phase. So those issues are to be expected, and they do exist in different degrees.”
The challenge is especially significant because Cadillac is developing its racing operation while simultaneously expanding the infrastructure behind it. The organisation remains in the middle of a major Formula 1 factory expansion, while its departments and internal processes continue to evolve during the team’s first season on the grid.
Why Marcin Budkowski fits Cadillac’s new technical model
Marcin Budkowski’s appointment reflects Cadillac’s desire to place a strongly technical figure at the head of the organisation. His career has given him significant experience across the technical, regulatory and management sides of Formula 1 through roles involving Ferrari, the FIA and Renault/Alpine.
“As we look to the future, I think we’re looking at a model with a very strong technical team principal. And I think if you look at Marcin’s background, what he’s accomplished in Formula 1, he certainly fits the bill,” Dan Towriss explained when asked by Motorsport.com.
“Also, I think the time that Marcin has had away from Formula 1 provides him with a perspective to look at both how F1 has evolved and developed, look at the resources across General Motors and TWG, and really look at what a future vision of a Formula 1 team can look like.”
That broader organisational challenge has been present throughout Cadillac’s rapid expansion. The scale of Cadillac’s F1 build during its debut season means that developing the car is only one part of a much larger project involving personnel, facilities, technology and working practices.
AI and GM resources central to Cadillac’s future F1 vision
Dan Towriss has repeatedly stressed that Cadillac does not simply want to reproduce an existing Formula 1 team structure. Artificial intelligence is already playing an increasingly important role across numerous industries, and Formula 1 is no exception.
“The role of AI and those kinds of things, I think we’ve only scratched the surface of the tool set that GM has to offer in F1 through Cadillac. And so I think there’s more work to be done there.”
Marcin Budkowski also believes artificial intelligence could become increasingly influential as Formula 1 teams change the way they operate.
“There’s a lot of changes in F1 and then there’s a huge societal change going on as well, with AI taking over a lot of things.”
“And I think it’s coming to F1, but we’re at the very, very beginning of that. But I do think the teams of the future will look very different from what they look now.”
Cadillac plans a more US-centred phase of growth
Cadillac’s development will also increasingly involve resources in the United States. The concentration of Formula 1 expertise in Britain meant much of the team’s initial recruitment naturally took place in the UK, but Dan Towriss says the organisation is now entering a phase in which its American operations will become more prominent.
“Obviously, with the concentration of F1 talent in the UK, the bulk of our recruitment has been in the UK and is moving into a more US-centric phase going forward. That is not by moving people, but by continuing to grow the organisation in other locations,” Dan Towriss explained.
Cadillac also intends to look beyond motorsport for ideas and expertise that could strengthen the team. Aerospace is one sector already identified, while the broader technological resources available through General Motors could become increasingly important under Marcin Budkowski’s leadership.
“We’re also looking at innovation capabilities from other industries. Marcin mentioned aerospace and there are some other industries as well. And again, further integration of the tool set available at GM. We’ll be looking at all of those things, integrating those across all the locations.”
The earlier-than-expected team principal change therefore forms part of a much wider plan for Cadillac’s next phase in Formula 1. With Marcin Budkowski now leading the team, the focus will be on combining stronger technical leadership with improved communication, greater use of General Motors’ technology and continued expansion of the organisation on both sides of the Atlantic.
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