Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez reacted to Cadillac’s Team Principal change at the 2026 F1 Dutch GP. During the summer break, Cadillac announced they replaced Team Principal Graeme Lowdon with Marcin Budkowski. While a new Team Principal appeared to always be part of Cadillac’s plan, many did not expect a change to occur this soon.
Budkowski has previously worked with teams such as Prost, McLaren, and Ferrari. Most recently, he worked as Technical Director for Renault and, later, Alpine F1 Teams, transitioning to Executive Director for the 2021 season before departing from the team. Cadillac marks Budkowski’s return to management with an F1 team. The Pole was also at the FIA previously.
Cadillac currently sit last in the World Constructors’ Championship, with both drivers having yet to score a point. Reliability issues have plagued the team’s season, with double DNFs at the 2026 F1 Austrian and Hungarian GPs. The team hopes to work on these issues and move up the order.
Valtteri Bottas on Cadillac Team Principal change
Ahead of the 2026 F1 Dutch GP, Valtteri Bottas spoke about his thoughts on Cadillac’s Team Principal change in a print media session. The Finnish driver expressed he was initially surprised by the news over summer break.
“I think a big change like this in the middle of the season is always initially surprising. But then speaking with Dan [Towriss], etcetera, explained to me all the reasons why this change and I respect that. I think if we just keep everything the same, we’re never going to progress, so we’re going to change some things.
“Obviously, it’s a real shame that it is Graeme [Lowdon] who got out, because first of all, he’s a friend of mine. But I also think he’s done a great job setting up the team, getting ready to be on the grid in the first race. So my hat off for that. But at the same time, also welcoming Marcin [Budkowski].
“I don’t know him that well from the past, I’ve seen him around. But for sure, in the next days, we’re going to spend a lot of time together.“
While respecting the decision, Bottas expressed some disappointment given his personal relationship with former Team Principal Graeme Lowdon.
“I respect it. With any change, time will always tell what change is good, what change is bad. So I can’t predict the future. Like I said, I don’t know Marcin yet that well. I haven’t worked with him in the past. I’ve worked with Graeme [Lowdon] quite a bit in the past, and it’s just a personal relationship. But yeah, time will tell.“
Sergio Pérez: “I think it was time to change”
Speaking in the press conference at Zandvoort, Sergio Pérez expressed excitement with Cadillac’s Team Principal change. He emphasized that the change shows Cadillac’s commitment to their F1 project in 2026.
“I think Graeme [Lowdon] has done a tremendous part in bringing Cadillac to where it is now, together with GM and Dan [Towriss]. And he’s part of the history of the team and I wish him well on whatever comes next.
“On Marcin [Budkowski], I think it’s really exciting at the same time, when you have a new leader and see his new perspective. I haven’t been spending much time with him, but I think it was time to change and I think it shows that, although it’s only our first year, Cadillac is really willing to move forward this team as quickly as possible. And we hope that with the new leadership that can come soon.”
When asked about what to expect from the new leader, Pérez explained, “I think being a new team, there’s a lot of areas. As a leader you can look at all these different departments with your experience and guide them. It’s what we are all expecting from Marcin [Budkowski], that he will guide us onto the next level, and we are all really excited about it.“
