While Formula 1 has been on its traditional summer break recently, there was news from Cadillac this week when it was announced that Marcin Budkowski would become the squad\u2019s new Team Principal, replacing Graeme Lowdon with immediate effect.<\/p>\n
It marks a return to the paddock for Budkowski, who most recently held the role of Executive Director at Alpine<\/a> until 2022 and has also worked for teams including Prost, Ferrari<\/a> and McLaren<\/a>, as well as undertaking a stint with the FIA.<\/p>\n In the wake of his appointment, Budkowski and CEO of TWG Motorsports Dan Towriss spoke to a select group of media \u2013 and we\u2019ve rounded up five of the key talking points\u2026<\/p>\n \u2018Always the plan\u2019 to change leadership<\/p>\n Lowdon \u2013 who was appointed Team Principal back in 2024 \u2013 had been a key figure in helping to build the brand-new Cadillac<\/a> outfit, but Towriss has said that an eventual change in leadership was \u201calways the plan\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cNow is the right time,\u201d he explained. \u201cWe’re at this inflexion point, with the summer break coming here, and Cadillac has gone through this initial build phase \u2013 just reminding everyone that we built this team from a standing start.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd now as we look at the development phase, there’s a real opportunity here to build something new, which has always been our ambition, and I think that the change in leadership here fits that.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile it’s a short tenure from our first F1 season, Graeme and I have been building this team for nearly four years, and so it was always the plan to get it to this point and then really hand the baton off to someone else and set things in motion for this next stage of development.\u201d<\/p>\n Towriss went on to clarify that the call was made by him to make the change now, as he shared an insight into the timeline of the switch which he concedes came \u201csooner than was expected\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was my decision \u2013 it wasn’t a mutual decision,\u201d he said. \u201cI think really the process started a few months ago to explore, really thinking about what the next phase for Cadillac Formula 1 looks like, what’s the right timing, how would that look, and then the capabilities of the various folks out there.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, we were delighted with the conversation with Marcin and how that relationship evolved. Graeme and I spoke this morning, so I think it is a very recent conversation from that perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n What Budkowski\u2019s priorities will be and how he will tackle reliability issues<\/p>\n After joking that his first priority will be \u201cmoving my stuff first to the UK\u201d, Budkowski set out his plans in the role as he prepares to visit the factory next week before going to the Dutch Grand Prix. One of these tasks links to addressing the reliability problems that Cadillac have experienced during the first half of their maiden F1 season.<\/p>\n \u201cMy first priority is going to be to listen and observe in the factory because I need to meet the people, I need to understand how they work together, how the various individuals and departments work together,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n \u201cBut also throughout my F1 experience I know that when a team is suffering reliability issues, as Cadillac have during the first half of the season, it’s a huge risk of creating a disconnect between the trackside operations and the factory, and that link needs to be very, very strong.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why I will share my first week between the factory and the track in Zandvoort, because I want to see both sides of the team and how they work together. I think that’s going to be the short-term priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n Alongside this, Budkowski intends to ensure that a long-term plan is in place for Cadillac, with the Pole admitting that getting results can take time.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of my focus will be on looking at how the organisation is structured, how it’s working, are the right processes in place, and also where we want to get to, because you have to put a strategy in place in the long-term,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd there’s no more magic wand in F1 \u2013 that’s long gone, and you can’t just come in and wave a magic wand and suddenly make a car more competitive. It’s hard work, it’s a lot of people having to work together, work in the same direction.<\/p>\n \u201cMy focus will be to align the team in the right direction, give them a vision of the future, and make sure we spend our time, resources and money on the right things. That’s going to be a combination of short-term and long-term objectives.\u201d<\/p>\n Current plans for 2027 driver line-up<\/p>\n Amid continued \u2018silly season\u2019 speculation, Budkowski and Towriss were quizzed on the importance of keeping Sergio Perez<\/a> onboard following rumours linking him to Williams<\/a> \u2013 leading Towriss to voice his confidence that the Mexican will stay with them.<\/p>\n \u201cCheco’s been a tremendous asset to the team,\u201d Towriss commented. \u201cHe’s driven very well and certainly has pushed quite hard. I’m very confident that Checo is going to remain with Cadillac.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re not distracted by the Williams rumours for a second. We’re very confident in the relationship here and that you’re going to see him piloting the Cadillac F1 car.\u201d<\/p>\n Towriss went on to downplay rumours of driver changes for the future, stating: \u201cIt’s a great question \u2013 would a younger driver come in and push the team? It\u2019s certainly something we think about.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’ve got two experienced drivers that we\u2019re very happy with, that are pushing the team, and we\u2019ll continue to push them, although the caveat that it\u2019s Formula 1 and things can always change.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are no changes planned at the moment for \u201927, but things can always change. But we are not looking to… I know there have been some rumours out there with some of the young drivers. They’re not substantiated, so that’s not something I would focus on. We’re not focused on that at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Budkowski echoed Towriss\u2019 sentiments about Perez, adding: \u201cI think it’s important to have a driver like Checo on board. From what I know because of the conversations I’ve had with Dan, but also with other people from the team, he’s not only been driving exceptionally well but he’s been pushing the team very, very hard in the background.<\/p>\n