Cadillac have sacked team principal Graeme Lowdon and replaced him with Marcin Budkowski in what Formula 1's 2026 newcomers claim is a "planned leadership transition". Budkowski, whose most recent role in F1 ended when he left his position as Alpine executive director in 2022, takes over with Cadillac as the only team yet to have scored a point during the first 11 rounds of the 2026 season.

The 49-year-old Polish-French engineer's first race in charge will be the Dutch Grand Prix, which sees the season resume from August 21-23 after the sport's four-week summer break. Lowdon was appointed team principal of the Cadillac project in December 2024 and had overseen the American-owned outfit's preparations for and arrival on the F1 grid.

Cadillac F1 team chief executive Dan Towriss said: "Marcin's appointment marks another important step in the continued evolution of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team. 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." While a team statement said the change "follows a planned leadership transition", there had been no previous indication that Lowdon would not remain for at least Cadillac's first season.

It is not a major surprise that Cadillac have not scored any points, although it is possible there was disappointment from above Lowdon at the technical issues that have resulted in nine grand prix retirements across the first 11 rounds. Towriss added: "We're grateful to Graeme Lowdon for his leadership and the role he played in forming the Cadillac Formula 1 Team from the ground up." Budkowski worked at Prost, Ferrari, McLaren and the FIA before joining Renault/Alpine.