Cadillac appoints Marcin Budkowski as new team principal

Budkowski takes charge of Cadillac’s F1 project

Cadillac Formula 1 Team has appointed Marcin Budkowski as its new team principal, replacing Graeme Lowdon as the American outfit seeks to accelerate its development after a difficult start to its world championship campaign.

Budkowski, 49, brings 25 years of Formula 1 experience to the role. He began his career as an aerodynamicist with Prost, Ferrari and McLaren before moving to the FIA, where he led the governing body’s Formula 1 technical department. He later joined Renault as an executive director and shared team principal responsibilities with Davide Brivio during the 2021 season.

After leaving Renault, Budkowski worked in consulting and punditry. His return to a senior operational role comes as Cadillac continues to build its organisation and completes new infrastructure in Indiana. The team currently sits last in the constructors’ standings and is still waiting to score its first world championship points.

The appointment follows a formative period for the project. Cadillac is still building its Formula 1 foundations as its Fishers factory takes shape, with its wider infrastructure continuing to develop.

A mandate centred on execution

Budkowski outlined a clear priority: maximising car development within the cost cap while improving how every part of the team operates.

“Cadillac Formula 1 Team has an extraordinary foundation and ambition,” Budkowski said. “This is a phase of huge opportunity for the team, one that will be defined by a clear objective: maximising car development within the cost cap and turning every team function on to compete.”

He said his focus would be on aligning people, tools and information flow so that decisions could be made quickly and the car improved each time it raced. Budkowski is due to begin leading Cadillac’s on-track efforts at Zandvoort next weekend.

Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss described the appointment as another step in the team’s evolution, stressing that the project’s ambition extends beyond simply participating in Formula 1. He said Budkowski’s technical experience and strategic leadership would strengthen the organisation as it develops the processes required for long-term success.

Lowdon, who joined Cadillac in December 2024, will now leave the team. Towriss thanked him for helping form the operation from the ground up and for establishing its foundation during the build-up phase.