Cadillac Formula 1 has made one of the most significant leadership changes of its inaugural season, appointing longtime Formula 1 executive Marcin Budkowski as the team's new Team Principal ahead of next week's Dutch Grand Prix.
The announcement, made Tuesday, marks the next step in Cadillac's long-term plan as the American manufacturer transitions from building its Formula 1 operation to developing a team capable of competing further up the grid.
Budkowski succeeds Graeme Lowdon, who helped establish the Cadillac Formula 1 program during its formation and guided the organization through its initial build phase.
"Marcin's appointment marks another important step in the continued evolution of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team," Cadillac Formula 1 CEO Dan Towriss said.
"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."
Budkowski arrives with more than 20 years of Formula 1 experience and one of the sport's most diverse résumés.
The Polish-French engineer has held senior positions with Prost, Ferrari and McLaren before moving to the FIA, where he became one of Formula 1's most influential technical officials. He later joined Renault, helping oversee the team's transition into the Alpine era as executive director and board member. More recently, Budkowski has worked as a consultant, advising teams, drivers and motorsport organizations across Formula 1 and the broader racing industry.
That breadth of experience made him an attractive choice for a Cadillac organization entering a new phase of development.
Rather than focusing solely on expanding infrastructure, the team's attention now shifts toward extracting performance under Formula 1's cost-cap regulations while improving every aspect of its racing operation.
"Cadillac Formula 1 Team has an extraordinary foundation and ambition," Budkowski said.
"This is a phase of huge opportunity for the team, one that will be defined by a clear objective: maximizing car development within the cost cap and turning every team function on to compete."
Budkowski said his priority will be creating an organization capable of making faster decisions while continuously improving the car throughout the season.
"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," he said.
The appointment also reflects Formula 1's growing trend of teams recruiting experienced executives capable of managing increasingly complex organizations under the sport's financial regulations. Modern team principals are expected to balance engineering, operations, personnel management and long-term strategy while guiding development within the constraints of the cost cap.
Cadillac's decision to hire Budkowski suggests the organization believes its foundations are now in place and that the emphasis can shift toward maximizing competitive performance.
The timing is significant.
Formula 1 returns from its summer shutdown next week at Circuit Zandvoort, where Cadillac will begin the second half of its debut campaign armed with lessons from the opening races and a new leadership structure designed to accelerate its long-term development.
For Cadillac, the move represents more than a change in personnel.
It's another signal that the newest team on the Formula 1 grid is beginning to think less like a startup and more like an organization intent on becoming a long-term contender.
Budkowski will make his debut as Cadillac Formula 1 Team Principal when the championship resumes at the Dutch Grand Prix, Aug. 21-23, as the team begins the second half of its inaugural Formula 1 season.