Cadillac has announced a significant leadership change, naming former Alpine Executive Director Marcin Budkowski as its new Team Principal.
The American outfit confirmed the appointment on August 12, 2026. This comes as it heads into the second half of its debut Formula 1 season. Budkowski replaces Graeme Lowdon. Lowdon had led the team through its formative stages.
Budkowski previously served as Executive Director at Alpine until his departure in 2022. He joined the French team from the FIA in 2018. In recent years, he has spent time working as a television pundit in his native Poland. Moreover, his broader Formula 1 career includes engineering and leadership roles at Prost, Ferrari, and McLaren.
Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss welcomed the appointment. He described it as “another important step in the continued evolution of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team.”
“From the beginning, our goal has not been simply to participate in Formula 1, but to build a next-generation team capable of competing at the very front,” Towriss said. “As we enter this new era for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, Marcin brings exceptional F1 experience, technical expertise and strategic leadership. Therefore, this will strengthen our organisation and help us develop the winning mindset, tools and processes required for long-term success.
“We’re grateful to Graeme Lowdon for his leadership and the role he played in forming the Cadillac Formula 1 Team from the ground up. His contributions helped establish a strong foundation in our build-up phase. Moreover, we thank him for his commitment. We wish him well.”
Budkowski expressed enthusiasm for the challenge ahead. “Cadillac Formula 1 Team has an extraordinary foundation and ambition. This is a phase of huge opportunity for the team. It will be defined by a clear objective: maximising car development within the cost cap and turning every team function on to compete.
“That means building an elite organisation with a winning mindset – driven, relentless in the face of setbacks, obsessed with detail and process, and able to execute with precision on race day.
“My focus will be on aligning our people, tools and information flow so the right decisions are made quickly. Furthermore, the performance of the car improves every time we go racing. It is a privilege to be leading Cadillac Formula 1 Team’s on-track efforts. Notably, this will start in Zandvoort next weekend.”
The team characterised the change as a planned leadership transition. This marks the shift from its initial build phase into a new stage focused on racing performance.
Budkowski will take up his role ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.