Marcin Budkowski on the contract with Cadillac

      After being appointed as the head of the Cadillac team, Marcin Budkowski held a press conference, discussing his desire to return to Formula 1 – he has negotiated with "more than half of the teams" and the motives behind his decision.

      Marcin Budkowski: "Returning to a leadership position, it was important for me to be involved in a project that I believe in. Cadillac has very serious goals. The team is supported by the TWG group, which is actively involved in motorsport. General Motors is one of the largest automotive companies, with huge ambitions and financial resources, which hasn't always been the case with my previous projects.

      I have been greatly helped by the fact that all the people I interact with, and everyone on the board of directors and senior management of the team, are true professionals in the world of motorsport. They live and breathe motorsport, understand it, and are closely connected to it. I really like this, as conversations from the very beginning have been on a completely different level.

      After starting to closely communicate with Dan Tauris, we realized that our views and ideas on how everything should develop are very, very similar. Our goal is to create a strong, competitive team capable of setting the most serious objectives.

      I do not expect serious pressure from management. Of course, there will be expectations, which is logical and normal in such a role, but these expectations are not unreasonable and are not detached from the reality of Formula 1. Everyone understands the scale of the upcoming task, but there is a will to tackle it. And I am starting with this mindset.

      On Monday, I will be at the base for the first time, and I will be able to look at everything with fresh eyes. I have experience working with other Formula 1 teams and with the FIA, and sometimes it’s easy to notice something from the outside. My priorities for the time being are to listen, observe, and ensure that the two parts of one team – on the track and at the base – work together."