Cadillac Formula 1 has confirmed that Graeme Lowdon’s departure as team principal was not a mutual agreement between both parties involved.
CEO Dan Towriss revealed that Lowdon was only informed about the decision on the morning the announcement was made public.
Cadillac shocked the paddock on Wednesday by announcing that Lowdon had been replaced by former Alpine executive director Marcin Budkowski for the remainder of 2026 and beyond.
The announcement came during the summer shutdown of Cadillac’s debut Formula 1 season, with the team sitting bottom of the constructors’ championship without a single point after 11 rounds.
A pointless first season had been widely anticipated for a brand-new entry, and many assumed Lowdon would remain central to the project long-term after helping construct the team from scratch.
Towriss made his position clear during a media roundtable alongside Budkowski, stating plainly: “It wasn’t a mutual decision.”
“The process started a few months ago: really thinking about what the next phase for Cadillac Formula 1 looks like, what’s the right timing, how would that look, and then the capabilities of the various folks out there,” said Towriss.
“We were delighted in the conversation with Marcin and how that relationship evolved. So Graeme and I spoke this morning, so I think it is a very recent conversation from that perspective.”
Towriss acknowledged the compressed timeline but argued the secretive nature of Formula 1 business made an abrupt announcement unavoidable under the circumstances.
“But there’s no easy way to make this transition within Formula 1. Can you imagine the press if Marcin strolled through for a tour of the factory or having these conversations?” Towriss said.
“It becomes destabilising at that point and so it’s important to respect the view of the leadership that’s in place at that time.”
Questions quickly emerged on social media asking whether Lowdon had always been serving in an interim capacity rather than as a permanent appointment.
Towriss pushed back firmly on that characterisation, insisting the tenure represented a genuine four-year commitment of planning, building, and execution.
“I don’t think it’s fair to say that he was here in an interim capacity. It really is a function of performance and how things evolved,” Towriss stated.
“What I can say is, what was accomplished, I have immense respect for. This isn’t an interim period for me and for Graeme, it’s almost a four-year period of planning and building and doing all the pieces.”
Budkowski has been working as a television pundit since departing Alpine in January 2022, and will now step back into a prominent team leadership role with Cadillac.
Towriss closed by expressing gratitude toward Lowdon while signalling clear excitement about the direction the team will now take under new management.
“But here we are. We’re again very grateful to Graeme for what he brought to the team and very excited about Marcin’s leadership and what the future looks like for Cadillac.”