The surprise dismissal of Graeme Lowdon has reignited questions about Valtteri Bottas. But the Finn assures that his seat at Cadillac is not threatened.
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The sudden change in direction at Cadillac should not have immediate consequences on Valtteri Bottas’s future. While Graeme Lowdon, who had largely contributed to his recruitment, was dismissed during the summer break, the Finn assures he has all the necessary guarantees to continue with the team in 2027.
Cadillac decided to replace Lowdon with Marcin Budkowski after a particularly difficult first half of the season. For its debut in Formula 1, the American team has yet to score a single point and has encountered several reliability issues.
This change in leadership naturally raised some questions around Bottas. But the former Mercedes driver is categorical: his short-term future is not threatened.
Bottas is not worried about his seat
When directly asked about any concerns regarding his place within the team, Bottas immediately dismissed this possibility.
“Not in the near future,” he replied.
The Finn especially reminds that his contract already covers the next season.
“Everything is obviously settled for next year. Then, we will eventually discuss what will happen after 2027, but we are not there yet.”
Bottas should therefore remain alongside Sergio Pérez next season, despite the arrival of new leadership at the head of the project.
The question of a possible extension beyond 2027 will be considered later.
Lowdon’s departure had fueled questions
Bottas’s situation had attracted more attention due to his closeness with the former team principal.
Lowdon was considered one of the main architects of his recruitment at Cadillac. He had even publicly defended his driver earlier in the season when rumors were already circulating about his possible replacement.
His dismissal during the summer break therefore potentially represented a significant change for the Finn.
Dan Towriss, CEO of Cadillac, chose to entrust the reins to Marcin Budkowski, former technical director of Alpine.
Bottas admits he does not yet know his new boss well enough to judge the consequences of this decision.
“Time will tell” if Cadillac made the right choice
The Finn, however, has a longer-standing relationship with Lowdon, which makes his departure particularly personal.
“I respect this decision and, as with any change, only time will tell if it was positive or negative,” Bottas explains.
“I cannot predict the future and I do not know Marcin very well yet. I have never worked with him before, whereas I had already worked a lot with Graeme. So there was also a personal relationship.”
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However, Bottas does not wish to criticize the decision made by management.
And he especially acknowledges that after the difficulties encountered since the beginning of the year, Cadillac probably could not remain inactive.
“Something had to change”
For its first season in Formula 1, Cadillac is going through a particularly tough learning curve.
The team has still not scored any points after twelve rounds. Its best performance remains the thirteenth place achieved by Bottas in China.
Reliability issues have also been numerous during the European tour. Cadillac notably faced brake problems leading to fires, while Pérez suffered a suspension failure in Canada.
Bottas admits that some difficulties had persisted for too long.
“I think something had to change. Some of the problems we encountered had been dragging on for some time.”
However, the Finn did not expect such a major upheaval.
“Maybe I did not think the change would be so radical.”
Bottas rather expected changes at the factory
Lowdon’s departure was therefore not necessarily the solution Bottas had imagined.
“I maybe expected more that changes would be made at the factory, but that’s how it is.”
However, the Finn acknowledges that drivers do not have a complete view of a team’s internal organization.
Their work remains primarily focused on on-track performance and the technical feedback they can provide to engineers.
“As drivers, we sometimes do not see what needs to be changed in this kind of situation, because we are obviously very focused on driving, performance, and the feedback we provide.”
And Bottas does not want to overstep the boundaries of his role.
“We are not the ones structuring the team. That is not our job.”
Cadillac must now prove that its choice was the right one
Budkowski’s arrival thus opens a new phase in the young Cadillac project.
After a first half of the season without a single point, the priority will be to solve reliability problems and allow the team to gradually move closer to the midfield.
Bottas should indeed participate in this rebuilding at least until the end of next season. What happens afterward will probably depend as much on his performances as on the overall progress of the project.
Despite the dismissal of the man who had largely supported his arrival at Cadillac, Bottas is therefore not worried about his immediate future. His contract for 2027 is secured and discussions about the continuation of his career will only take place later.
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