Marcin Budkowski explains why he chose Cadillac after talks with more than half the F1 grid

Budkowski chose Cadillac after extensive talks

Marcin Budkowski says he held discussions with “more than half” of the Formula 1 grid before deciding to return to team leadership with Cadillac.

However, CEO Dan Towriss opted for a change in direction and selected Budkowski, whose career has covered aerodynamic, technical, sporting and executive roles across Formula 1. His route back to the pit wall followed negotiations with several teams after he left Renault in 2022 and worked as a television pundit.

A project built around ambition and patience

Budkowski said the deciding factor was not simply the opportunity to return, but the nature of Cadillac’s long-term project. He pointed to the ambition of TWG Group, the backing of General Motors and the level of funding available to the team.

“This project is very ambitious,” he said, adding that the backing represented an important difference from some of his previous ventures.

The new team principal also highlighted the motorsport experience of the people involved in Cadillac’s board and senior leadership. Their understanding of racing, he argued, has created a more productive conversation about what it will take to build a competitive Formula 1 team.

That approach is particularly significant for a newcomer still laying its foundations. As Cadillac continues building its Formula 1 infrastructure, Budkowski believes the project’s leadership understands both its potential and the scale of the work required.

“There’s the ambition, there’s the desire to build a strong team and eventually a competitive team, a team that will be able to fight at the front,” he said. “But there’s a real understanding of how challenging it is, of the timelines of the road ahead.”

Budkowski does not expect unreasonable pressure. Expectations will naturally accompany the role, he said, but Cadillac’s leadership recognises the challenge rather than ignoring it. For him, that shared mindset ultimately outweighed the project’s financial and organisational foundations.

“It’s the attitude and the vision,” Budkowski concluded, describing the value of working with people who “live and breathe motorsport” and fundamentally understand it.