(Motorsport-Total.com) – More than a week before the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, the Formula 1 world was abruptly torn out of its summer break. At 4:00 p.m. German time on Wednesday, Cadillac decided that the moment for a shock announcement had come: Graeme Lowdon was replaced immediately as team principal by Marcin Budkowski.
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Two elements of this news are not particularly unusual on their own. For many in the paddock, it had long been clear that the popular Lowdon, while playing a key role in the initial build-up phase of the team, would not remain team principal in the long term.
It is also not surprising that Cadillac turned to someone like Budkowski. The Pole, trained in France, has gained experience in very different areas of Formula 1: in technical roles at teams like Prost, Ferrari, and McLaren, on the regulatory side through his time at the FIA, and later in leadership at Alpine.
The main question concerns the timing: Why now, and why so early?
The question of timing
Cadillac emphasized both in its press release and in the subsequent media round that this was a “planned transition.” But even then, the timing is extremely unusual. It falls right in the middle of the summer break and happens halfway through Cadillac’s very first Formula 1 season – in other words: extremely early.
“Whenever you make a change in Formula 1, it is – as you all know – very difficult,” said Towriss, basically concluding that there is never a perfect moment for such an intervention.
Nevertheless, the 54-year-old American admits that it was not the intention to make the change so early. Yes, the replacement of Lowdon was part of the plan from the start, but not necessarily at this time.
“Graeme and I always talked about there eventually being a transition. That decision was mine. And I think there is only a very short window of opportunity for this.”
“When you look at what we are building here, there is a chance to create something new and innovative. What I did not want was to build something that already exists – something old – and then improve it. So I believe the time for this change came earlier than expected.”
Of course, this raises the question of when Cadillac originally planned to replace Lowdon. However, when Motorsport.com asked whether the original idea was to make the change at the end of the team’s first season, Towriss did not want to go into detail.
“I would not commit to any schedule there. I think it was more meant to be a kind of ‘wait-and-see’ thing.”
In practice, some puzzle pieces of the process only came together at the last minute. Budkowski revealed during the media round that he had not even had time for a proper factory tour, while Towriss explained that Lowdon was only informed on the morning before the public announcement.
“So Graeme and I spoke this morning, so from that perspective it was a very short-notice conversation,” said Towriss, adding that it was not a mutual decision.
According to Cadillac, current results played no role. Instead, another consideration was decisive: A new team principal can still actively influence the car for 2027 at this point, which would have been almost impossible with a later change.
AI, communication, and GM: Why Cadillac sees a leadership change as necessary
Even more interesting than the timing is the question of why Cadillac believes it needs a different kind of leadership for the next phase of the team, and why the choice fell on Budkowski.
Although the sporting picture on track is quite encouraging for a newcomer – perhaps even better than expected – there are areas behind the scenes that need improvement. These include communication within the factory, preventing silo thinking within the team, and ensuring that the various departments work together as effectively as possible.
Towriss acknowledges these problems and names them as key focuses for the new direction of team leadership: “Many of these problems, which exist to varying degrees, are in my opinion teething problems,” admitted the CEO of the Cadillac team.
“In new organizations, communication will always be a central point to improve. You have to ensure that things are properly organized and aligned and that morale is kept high during this build-up phase. So such problems are to be expected and exist in varying degrees.”
Apart from the human component, Towriss believes there is still a lot of untapped potential at General Motors. This applies, for example, to artificial intelligence and the tools GM has in this area. Towriss also believes that Budkowski can better utilize these resources than Cadillac has managed so far.
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“Looking to the future, we envision a model with a very technically oriented team principal. And when you look at Marcin’s background and what he has achieved in Formula 1, he fits exactly the profile,” Towriss made clear.
“I also think that the time Marcin spent outside Formula 1 has given him a perspective to see both how F1 has developed and to look at the resources at General Motors and TWG and to design a future vision of what a Formula 1 team can look like.”
And it is precisely at this last point that AI comes into play.
“As far as the role of AI and similar things is concerned, in my opinion we have only scratched the surface of what GM’s toolbox has to offer Formula 1 through Cadillac. So there is still more work to do.”
AI was also one of the points Budkowski highlighted in his first media appearance as Cadillac team principal. From his perspective, the Formula 1 team of the future will look very different from today’s teams.
“There are many changes in F1, and at the same time a huge societal change is taking place where AI takes over many things,” he said. “I think this is also entering F1, but we are very, very much at the beginning. However, I firmly believe that the teams of the future will look very different from today.”
Budkowski’s task is to work on both aspects in parallel: improving the car’s performance for 2026 and solving reliability issues – which he described as “urgent” – while at the same time future-proofing the US racing team and getting more out of GM’s technologies.
Was potential left unused?
This fits Cadillac’s ambition to shift the team’s focus somewhat more to the USA. Not by taking anything away from the Silverstone location, but by tapping other technologies and expertise on American soil.
“Due to the concentration of F1 talent in the UK, most of our recruitment naturally took place in the UK. In the future, this will move into a more US-centered phase. This is not done by relocating personnel, but by further expanding the organization at other locations,” explained Towriss.
“We are also looking at innovation potential from other industries. Marcin mentioned aerospace, and there are some other industries as well. And as I said: the further integration of the instrumentation available at GM. We will look at all these things and integrate them across all locations.”
Besides the teething problems in communication, this will be one of Budkowski’s most important tasks. Cadillac is convinced that – although the team is still in its infancy – potential has been left unused. It is precisely this potential within GM that Budkowski must unlock in the long term.
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At the same time, the current step shows that no one in Formula 1 is safe from dismissal and that results always have to be delivered – even when building a Formula 1 team from scratch and thinking you have time on your side.
Budkowski will have to face the same pressure in his new role: Yes, his main task is to prepare the US team for the future, but at the same time every Sunday in Formula 1 is an exam.
“I don’t feel that there is an extremely high pressure on me, but I am sure there will be expectations. That is logical and normal in this kind of role. But these expectations are not unfounded and completely detached from the reality of Formula 1,” said Budkowski.
“I think everyone understands the magnitude of the challenge ahead, but the will is there to tackle it. And that is exactly the attitude I am taking.”
Cadillac’s reasoning is not completely illogical and fits into a broader trend in Formula 1 where teams increasingly rely on technically skilled leaders – perhaps also inspired by successful role models.
For a newcomer, the timing remains remarkable. Above all, it shows how relentless the Formula 1 world can be – even during the summer break and even for the newest racing team on the grid.
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