Cadillac abruptly terminates Lowdon, with Budkowski stepping in to take charge.
Cadillac has surprised the Formula 1 community by suddenly dismissing Graeme Lowdon from his position as team principal during the summer break, replacing him with former Alpine leader Marcin Budkowski. CEO Dan Towriss took responsibility for the choice, emphasizing that Lowdon had not agreed to depart.
"That was my decision, so it wasn’t a mutual agreement," he acknowledged. "I spoke with Graeme this morning, making it a very recent discussion. There’s no straightforward way to handle such a transition."
Towriss explained that the confidentiality surrounding high-level appointments in Formula 1 made the seemingly abrupt change necessary. "Can you imagine the media frenzy if Marcin suddenly appeared for a factory tour or if the details of these negotiations got leaked?" he said. "At some point, it starts to destabilize the scenario, so it's crucial to be considerate of the current management's position. That’s why the changes appear more dramatic than they may have otherwise."
"But that’s how it works in Formula 1, and that’s precisely how it needed to unfold." He dismissed claims that Lowdon was merely an interim figure in his role. "I don’t think it’s accurate to say his position was temporary," Towriss stated. "It was all dependent on the outcomes of the work and how the circumstances evolved."
Budkowski is making a return to Formula 1 after previously holding prominent roles at the FIA and Renault-Alpine. "In recent years, I've spoken with over half the teams on the grid," he disclosed. "But for me, it was essential: if I were to take on a leadership role again, I wanted to be part of a project I genuinely believed in. This project is truly ambitious."
"It’s backed by TWG Group, a company with deep roots in motorsports, and supported by General Motors, one of the world’s largest automakers, with significant ambition and ample resources." Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher thinks the management shake-up may just be the beginning. "Cadillac has now appointed someone with experience, who has already been part of Formula 1 and worked with larger teams," he told Sky Deutschland. "I don’t believe this will be the final change at Cadillac."
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Cadillac abruptly terminates Lowdon, with Budkowski stepping in to take charge.
Formula 1 | Cadillac has shocked the Formula 1 community by suddenly dismissing Graeme Lowdon from his position as team principal during the summer break, appointing a former Alpine (...) in his place.