Graeme Lowdon appointed as team principal of Cadillac F1 team
General Motors has appointed Graeme Lowdon as director of its future Cadillac team in Formula 1. The former head of Manor Racing, who was already overseeing technical development, will lead the project aiming for entry into F1 in 2026.
General Motors and TWG Global announced on Thursday the appointment of Graeme Lowdon as team principal of the future Cadillac Formula 1 team, which is expected to make its debut in the championship in 2026 as the eleventh team on the grid.
For Lowdon, this new challenge marks a return to the forefront of F1, he who was sporting director of Manor Racing team (formerly Virgin Racing) until the end of the 2015 season. “I am truly honored to be appointed team principal of this exciting new team,” he said after the announcement. In recent years, he has not been far from the paddock, notably being part of the management team of driver Guanyu Zhou at Sauber, who will leave the team after the Abu Dhabi finale.
The new director of Cadillac F1 also gave an overview of his mission vision and team philosophy: “I believe that Formula 1 is the greatest team sport in the world, and teams are above all made up of people. Our team has a real love and desire to race, and we have the experience and expertise to succeed. Racing is at the very heart of everything we do,” he said.
The team is taking shape
The GM-Cadillac project, initially led by Andretti in response to the FIA’s call in early 2023, took a new turn last month with the withdrawal of the American team and Michael Andretti. Today, under the Cadillac banner and with a strategic operational base in Silverstone, it already relies on a solid structure of more than 280 employees, including some big names in F1 like Nick Chester, former technical director of Renault, and Rob White, former operations manager.
(I) believe that Formula 1 is the greatest team sport in the world, and the teams are above all people », stressed Lowdon, who already supervises the work on the chassis and aerodynamics. The operations of this new team are divided between three sites in the United States and the main base in Silverstone, at the heart of the British F1 valley. Lowdon played a crucial advisory role in the development of the Cadillac F1 project, which certainly made him a natural choice to lead the project.
A double ambition for the GM project
Mark Reuss, President of General Motors, did not hide his satisfaction: “It has been a pleasure working with Graeme these past two years and we are thrilled that he will lead our venture to the starting grid in 2026. He has great expertise in motorsports, knows how to build a high-performing team, and embodies the values that the Cadillac Formula 1 team will represent in all its endeavors, on and off the track,” he said in a statement.
For Dan Towriss, CEO of the motorsport division of TWG Global, this choice was a natural fit: Graeme’s experience, both technically and managerially in Formula 1 and in other disciplines of motorsport, will be crucial in building the Cadillac Formula 1 team.
General Motors’ ambition goes beyond mere participation. In fact, the American manufacturer not only aims to become the first fully-fledged American team in F1, but has also committed to developing its own power unit with the F1 in the future. This dual ambition underscores the seriousness of the project.
Lowdon himself remains clear-headed in the face of the magnitude of the challenge ahead: “I do not underestimate the task that awaits us and I have the utmost respect for our future competitors. As we wait for 2026, our work continues at a brisk pace.”