Cadillac’s debut Formula 1 season has produced no points, a string of brake failures and, on 12 August, the sudden dismissal of the team boss who had built the outfit from scratch. Bottas, speaking during the run-up to the Dutch Grand Prix, offered a measured take that stopped well short of criticism.
“I think something needed to change. Some issues we’ve had have been just dragging along,” Bottas told reporters, while adding that he had expected the changes to come inside the factory rather than at the top of the pit wall.
The Finn framed the abruptness of the call as a cultural trait, not a flaw.
“I think also the American way can be a bit more reactive and sudden than the European way of leading the team.”
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“I don’t think they are afraid of changing people suddenly if they see that that could be a good thing for the future.”
Lowdon out, Budkowski in
Lowdon, appointed team principal in December 2024, was replaced by former Alpine executive director Marcin Budkowski in an announcement Cadillac made on Wednesday 12 August. CEO Dan Towriss said the decision had been his alone, and that Lowdon had been informed only hours before the news went public.
“It was my decision, it wasn’t a mutual decision,” Towriss told Sky Sports.
“Graeme and I spoke this morning. It is a very recent conversation from that perspective.”
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Budkowski, who left Alpine in 2022 after four years in the executive director role, brings prior experience at Ferrari, McLaren, Prost and the FIA. Cadillac’s official analysis noted that he was free to start immediately, having worked recently as a broadcaster for Polish TV.
Bottas took care to acknowledge his outgoing boss, whom he counts as a friend.
“He’s done a great job setting up the team, getting ready to be on the grid for the first race, so I take my hat off for that.”
A season of failures under the surface
The sporting case for change is straightforward. Cadillac reached the summer break with zero points from 11 rounds and a chronic brake overheating problem the engineers have not been able to cure, according to the Formula 1 analysis. Between Bottas and team-mate Sergio Pérez, the team logged nine grand prix retirements across those 11 races, with Pérez suffering a brake fire at the end of practice at Monaco and Bottas losing a car when the front bib caught fire from the heat.
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The dismissal has also landed at an uncomfortable moment for the wider group. The US Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating TWG CEO Mark Walter over an alleged fraud and cover-up scheme involving undisclosed “self-loans” channelled from his insurance companies to other businesses linked to him. Cadillac used the Dutch Grand Prix to quell speculation that the team was up for sale.
Zandvoort delivered another DNF
The car did nothing to soften the picture at the Dutch Grand Prix on 23 August, Budkowski’s first race in charge. Bottas retired with 11 laps to go with a hydraulic problem, his sixth DNF in 12 races, while Pérez brought the second car home 15th, two laps down on winner Lando Norris.
“Had a hydraulic issue, still looking more in detail, but it’s quite a few DNFs in a row which is not ideal,” Bottas said afterwards.
Asked whether he might walk away from the project, the Finn had been firm before the weekend.
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“Not in the near future, no. I’m still all set, obviously, for next year.”
Cadillac and Budkowski head next to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on 4-6 September, still chasing the team’s first point.
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