Cadillac makes position on Perez-to-Williams speculation crystal clear

Cadillac CEO Dan Towriss and newly appointed team principal Marcin Budkowski have made their position clear amid recent speculation over a possible move to Williams for Sergio Perez.

Yesterday marked a day of major changes for Cadillac, with Graeme Lowdon replaced just halfway through the team's debut Formula 1 season to make way for a familiar face in the paddock in Marcin Budkowski.

Speaking to GPBlog and others, Budkowski explained that, based on his conversations with Towriss and other members of the team, Perez has not only performed exceptionally well on track but has also been pushing Cadillac hard behind the scenes.

He believes that approach is to be expected from someone with Perez's experience at Red Bull, where he spent years working at the highest level. The new Cadillac team principal added that this is exactly the mentality the team wants, and one that he intends to bring himself, leaving him confident that he and Perez will be fully aligned in terms of mindset and ambition.

"From what I know, because of the conversations I've had with Dan, but also with other people from the team, he's not only been driving exceptionally well, but he's been pushing the team very, very hard in the background.

Photo: Race Pictures

"That's to be expected from a driver like him, who's been at Red Bull for years and with the best. I think that's the kind of mindset that we want and that's also the kind of mindset that I will bring. So I'm sure we'll be aligned completely on the mindset and on the drive."

Towriss echoed Budkowski's comments, describing Perez as a hugely valuable asset to Cadillac both through his performances on track and the pressure he puts on the team behind the scenes. The Cadillac CEO also dismissed the recent Williams rumours, making it clear that the team remains fully confident in its relationship with the Mexican and expects him to continue driving for Cadillac.

"I would underline all the things that Marcin said. Checo's been a tremendous asset to the team. He's driven very well and certainly has pushed quite hard. I'm very confident that Checo is going to remain with Cadillac and we're not distracted by the Williams rumours for a second. We're very confident in the relationship here and that you're going to see him piloting the Cadillac F1 car.”

Speaking about yesterday's biggest news, Towriss revealed that he spoke with Lowdon on the morning of the announcement, highlighting how quickly the situation developed. He explained that there is no straightforward way to manage such a leadership transition in Formula 1, as allowing the process to drag on could create uncertainty and destabilise the team. As a result, the circumstances inevitably compressed both the decision-making process and the timeline, making the change appear more abrupt than it otherwise might have been.

With the summer break approaching, Towriss believes Cadillac has reached an important turning point in its development. He stressed that the team started from scratch and has now entered a new phase in which there is an opportunity to continue building the organisation around its long-term ambitions. In his view, the leadership change fits naturally with that next stage.

Towriss also pointed out that he and Lowdon spent almost four years building the project together, with the intention of eventually handing responsibility over to someone else once the team reached this point. With Cadillac entering the second half of its inaugural season and beginning to turn its attention towards developing the 2027 car, he believes the circumstances made this the appropriate moment to make the change.