The American team appointed Marcin Budkowski as its new team principal, who will prioritize reliability and team structure. Pérez will remain at Cadillac in 2027.
Cadillac has made a leadership change in the middle of its debut season. The American team announced that Marcin Budkowski will be its new team principal, replacing Graeme Lowdon with immediate effect. Dan Towriss, CEO of TWG Motorsports, explained that the change "was always the plan" and comes at the right time for the team's next phase of development: "Now is the right time, we are at this turning point, with the summer break here and Cadillac has gone through this initial construction phase. Graeme and I have been building this team for almost four years and it was always the plan to get to this point and then pass the baton to someone else" declared Towriss.
The CEO clarified that the decision was his and was not mutual: "It was my decision, it was not a mutual decision. The process began a few months ago to explore what the next phase would be for Cadillac Formula 1" he explained. Towriss admitted that the change came earlier than expected, but trusts that Budkowski is the right person to lead the team in its next stage. The new team principal returns to Formula 1 after his stint as Alpine's executive director until 2022, and has also worked at teams like Prost, Ferrari and McLaren, as well as the FIA.
Budkowski was enthusiastic about the project and explained what his immediate priorities will be: "My first priority is going to be to listen and observe in the factory because I need to get to know the people, understand how they work together, how the different individuals and departments operate" he stated.
The Pole highlighted the importance of addressing the reliability issues Cadillac has suffered in the first half of the season, an aspect he considers crucial for the team's development: "When a team suffers reliability issues there is a big risk of creating a disconnect between on track operations and the factory, and that link needs to be very strong. That's why I'll be spending my first week between the factory and the track at Zandvoort, because I want to see both sides of the team and how they work together. That will be key to understanding where the problems are and how we can solve them effectively" explained Budkowski.
Budkowski also referred to the importance of having a long term plan: "A lot of my focus will be on seeing how the organization is structured, how it works, if the processes are adequate and also where we want to go. We need to establish a long term strategy, there is no magic wand in F1, those days are gone. You can't come in and wave a magic wand and make the car more competitive overnight. We must work very hard, with a lot of people working together and in the same direction" he stated.
Regarding the driver lineup, Towriss confirmed that Sergio Pérez will remain at Cadillac in 2027: "Checo has been a great asset to the team, he drove very well and has pushed hard. I'm very confident that Checo will remain at Cadillac" he declared. The CEO also dismissed rumors about possible changes with young drivers: "There are no changes planned at this time for 2027, but things can always change. The rumors are unfounded, so it's not something I would focus on."
Budkowski agreed that Pérez is a key driver for the team: "It's important to have a driver like Checo on board, as he hasn't just driven exceptionally well, but has also been pushing the team very hard in the background, and that's the kind of mindset we want and that I will also bring," he stated.
The new team principal is clear that the goal is to build a competitive long term team: "This project is very ambitious, it's backed by TWG Group which is extremely involved in motorsport and General Motors is one of the biggest car companies in the world, with a lot of ambition and funding" he explained.
Budkowski concluded that the priority for the second half of the season will be to lay the foundations for the future, improve reliability and align the team towards a common goal.
