The Cadillac Formula 1 Team appointed former Alpine executive Marcin Budkowski as its new Team Principal on August 12, 2026. Budkowski succeeds Graeme Lowdon as the American outfit prepares for the second half of its debut season, bringing two decades of engineering and leadership experience to the paddock.
A Planned Leadership Transition in the F1 Paddock
The Cadillac Formula 1 Team announced the appointment of Marcin Budkowski as Team Principal, marking a pivotal personnel shift as the organization enters the second half of its maiden campaign. The change forms part of a planned leadership transition designed to guide the squad through its next phase of racing performance, moving the organization from its initial build phase into the next stage of racing performance as it evolves.
Budkowski steps into the role previously held by Graeme Lowdon, who steered the outfit through its foundational build phase. Dan Towriss, CEO of the Cadillac team, acknowledged those early contributions while setting a direct course for the future.
Dan Towriss, CEO of the Cadillac team
Towriss noted that the ultimate objective extends beyond simple participation. The team aims to build a next-generation operation capable of competing at the very front of the grid. 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.
Deep Engineering Roots and Executive Experience
Budkowski arrives with more than two decades of elite motorsport experience, having spent time across engineering, regulatory, and executive leadership positions. His career includes stints with Prost, Ferrari, and McLaren, alongside an impactful tenure with the FIA before joining Alpine in 2018. Most recently, the 49-year-old Polish / French engineer served as Executive Director and board member at Alpine, where he helped pilot the team through its structural transition until his exit in 2022.
Following his exit from Alpine, Budkowski worked as a television pundit in his native Poland and advised teams, drivers, and motorsport organizations throughout the global racing industry. That broad background gives him a unique vantage point on the intersection of technical development, competition strategy, and cost cap management. The official team announcement issued from Indianapolis and Silverstone on August 12, 2026, detailed his extensive operational background.
Towriss emphasized that Budkowski’s strategic leadership and technical expertise will help instill the winning mindset and precise operational processes necessary for long-term success. At the same time, the team publicly expressed gratitude to Lowdon for establishing a strong competitive baseline from the ground up.
“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, and we thank him for his commitment and wish him well.”
Dan Towriss, CEO of Cadillac Formula 1 Team
Zandvoort Debut and Immediate On-Track Focus
For Budkowski, the immediate priority is clear: maximizing car development within the strict confines of Formula 1’s financial regulations while tightening every internal process to ensure the team can 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, and 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, starting in Zandvoort next weekend.”
Marcin Budkowski, Cadillac Formula 1 Team Principal
The team returns to action following the summer break, entering the Dutch Grand Prix race next weekend from August 21 to 23 with valuable learnings from the first half of its debut season and a sharpened focus on the next phase of its competitive journey. By tightening information flow and accelerating car development, Budkowski aims to turn every team function on to compete as Cadillac presses forward into the remainder of its inaugural year.
