Cadillac appoints Marcin Budkowski as Team Principal and says return to F1 has been “a bit of a shock to the system”

Cadillac’s early Formula 1 experience has been defined by adaptation and development, and Team Principal Marcin Budkowski has described his return to the paddock as a significant adjustment. Speaking during Friday’s teams’ press conference ahead of last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, Budkowski said returning to a leadership role in the sport felt like “a bit of a shock to the system,” pointing first to Formula 1’s pace and technical demands, particularly when joining a new team and project.

Budkowski, who has been with Cadillac for nearly a month after replacing Graeme Lowdon as Team Principal just before the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August, also highlighted the intensity of the environment on a race weekend. He referenced the experience of sitting on the pit wall during FP1 at Zandvoort, describing how the rapid flow of radio channels took time for his mind to adjust.

On the team’s immediate focus, Budkowski said that leadership and team-building fundamentals remain unchanged: “it’s about people,” aligning the group around a vision and ensuring the right roles are filled. He added that, given the team’s first-season context, discussions are largely open and constructive, while acknowledging that “shortcuts” can appear when building a new operation quickly.

Cadillac have so far endured a difficult maiden season, remaining the only team on the grid yet to score a point. Valtteri Bottas’ 13th place at the Chinese Grand Prix is cited as the team’s best result to date. Budkowski said he has seen “a lot of good things” since taking the helm, while stressing short-term priorities around reliability and operational excellence, and longer-term goals aimed at improving performance and race pace.

Written by Vancouver Television Sports Desk