Cadillac’s dramatic decision to part ways with Graeme Lowdon may have caught the Formula 1 paddock off guard, but Valtteri Bottas believes the American outfit had reached a point where change was unavoidable.
The Finn, who has a long-standing friendship with Lowdon, admitted that several unresolved issues had been allowed to linger as Cadillac established itself as F1’s newest team.
Yet even Bottas was surprised by the scale of the management shake-up, with former Alpine executive director Marcin Budkowski now taking over as team principal.
A bigger change than expected
Lowdon’s departure was announced last week, during the summer break, with the decision reportedly coming as little warning even to those inside Cadillac. Bottas revealed that the drivers themselves had received only limited notice.
While he expected some movement behind the scenes, the extent of the overhaul surprised him.
“I think something needed to change," said the Finn. "Some issues we've had have been just dragging along. But I didn't maybe quite expect such a big, big change. I was maybe expecting more stuff happening in the factory.
“Some of these things, we as drivers don't see what needs to be changed sometimes when it comes to big things, because we're obviously very focused on the driving, on the performance, on giving our feedback. We are not the people who structure the team; that's not our job.”
Cadillac has endured a challenging maiden season, with persistent brake difficulties among the technical frustrations confronting Bottas and Sergio Perez.
Asked whether those problems had contributed to Lowdon’s exit, Bottas replied:
"Probably. And I think also the American way can be a bit more reactive and sudden than the European way of leading the team. I don't think they are afraid of changing people suddenly if they see that that could be a good thing for the future.”
Bottas pays tribute to Lowdon
Despite acknowledging the need for change, Bottas was unequivocal in his appreciation of the man who helped guide Cadillac from an ambitious project into an F1 reality.
“Obviously, it's a real shame that it's Graeme who had to go out, because first of all, he's a friend of mine,” he explained.
"But I also think 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."
Now, Cadillac must quickly turn the page.
Budkowski arrives with the responsibility of transforming the foundations laid by Lowdon into a more competitive operation, while Bottas and Perez remain committed to the project after signing two-year deals from the outset.
For Bottas, the leadership change may have been abrupt, but the message from Cadillac is unmistakable: the sport’s new entrant is no longer content simply to establish itself in Formula 1.
It wants to accelerate its progress.
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