Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss explains: This is why Graeme Lowdon had to leave

The Cadillac team will have a new team principal in place as early as the next race weekend at Zandvoort. The US team announced today, Wednesday, that Marcin Budkowski will be taking the helm. He takes over from Graeme Lowdon, who only learnt of his dismissal today, as Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss revealed during an afternoon press briefing.

The American also said: “That was my decision, so it wasn’t a mutual agreement. In fact, we started thinking about Cadillac’s future in Formula 1 months ago. We asked ourselves what the right time would be, and what the situation would look like. And, of course, what skills the various people out there would bring to the table.”

They were, of course, very pleased with the progress of the discussions with Budkowski, who brings a wealth of experience from more than 20 years in Formula 1. “We were very pleased with how the relationship has developed,” emphasised Towriss, adding: “Graeme and I spoke this morning, so that was a very recent conversation. And there’s no easy way to pull off a transition like this.”

Tight timeframe for leadership change

The 54-year-old insisted that he had discussed time and again with Lowdon – whom he thanked for his services and described as a friend – that a change at the top would come at some point. “But it was my decision, and I think the window of opportunity was very narrow. Because we want to create something new and innovative, rather than trying to improve on something that’s already been done.”

“The time for change came sooner than expected. But I wouldn’t say it was down to the performance or the teething problems we’ve experienced in recent weeks. It’s much more about having a clear vision of what we want to create for the future, and the pace of development needed to ensure that this aligns with the owners’ ambitions,” added Towriss.

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