Cadillac suddenly axes Lowdon, Budkowski takes over

Cadillac has stunned Formula 1 by abruptly removing Graeme Lowdon as team principal during the summer break and replacing him with former Alpine boss Marcin Budkowski.

CEO Dan Towriss took responsibility for the decision, stressing that Lowdon had not agreed to leave.

"That was my decision, so it wasn’t a mutual agreement," he admitted.

"Graeme and I spoke this morning, so it was a very recent conversation. And there’s no easy way to make such a transition."

Towriss said the secrecy required around senior Formula 1 appointments made the apparently sudden change unavoidable.

"Imagine the media uproar if Marcin suddenly showed up for a factory tour or if the details of these negotiations became public," he explained.

"At a certain point, this begins to destabilise the situation, so it’s important to respect the position of the current management. That’s why the changes seem more drastic than they could have been."

"But that’s the nature of Formula 1, and that’s exactly how it had to happen."

He rejected suggestions Lowdon had always been merely an interim figure.

"I don’t think it’s fair to assume his position was temporary," said Towriss.

"It was all determined by the results of the work and how the situation developed."

Budkowski now returns to Formula 1 after previously holding senior positions at the FIA and Renault-Alpine.

"Over the past few years, I’ve held talks with more than half the teams on the grid," he revealed.

"But for me, it was crucial: if I were to return to a leadership position, I wanted to be part of a project I truly believed in."

"This project is truly ambitious."

"It’s backed by TWG Group, a company deeply involved in motorsports, and backed by General Motors, one of the largest automakers in the world, with both great ambition and ample resources."

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes the management change may only be the beginning.

"Cadillac has now brought in a man with experience, who has already been in Formula 1 and worked for bigger teams," he told Sky Deutschland.

"I don’t think this will be the last change at Cadillac."