Former Marussia Sporting Director Graeme Lowdon announced as General Motors F1 project Team Principal

Former Marussia Sporting Director Graeme Lowdon has been announced as the Team Principal of General Motors’ F1 project, ahead of the manufacturer potentially joining the grid in 2026.

On November 25, it was announced that Formula 1 had reached an agreement in principle to support General Motors/Cadillac joining the grid as an 11th team in 2026.

In a statement, Formula 1 confirmed that General Motors had “achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the eleventh team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time.

“Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process and will provide further updates in due course.”

LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - DECEMBER 01: Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Ferrari SF-24 leads — In November, Formula 1 announced that it had reached an agreement in principle with General Motors to support bringing GM/Cadillac to the Formula 1 grid in 2026 as the 11th team

Now it’s been announced that Lowdon will oversee the project, with the Briton having last seen active service on the pit wall with Manor Marussia in 2015 in his role as the team’s Sporting Director.

Lowdon has most recently played a part in the management of China’s first ever full-time F1 racer Zhou Guanyu, who will depart Kick Sauber at the end of 2024, alongside his work as an executive advisor for the General Motors project.

“I’m truly honored to be appointed as the Team Principal of this exciting new team and I would like to thank everyone involved for placing their trust in me,” said Lowdon.

“I believe that Formula 1 is the greatest team sport in the world, and teams are all about people. This is a team with a real love for, and desire to go, racing, and we have the experience and expertise to do just that. Racing is at the very heart of everything that we do.

“This is what I want to see in a team, and I really want to be part of it. I don’t underestimate the task ahead and I have the utmost respect for the competition. I look forward to the challenge of racing. In the meantime, our work continues at pace.”

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - SEPTEMBER 15: Zhou Guanyu of China and Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber talks with — Graeme Lowdon has most recently played a part in the management of Zhou Guanyu

Dan Towriss, CEO of TWG Global’s motorsport business, added: "Graeme has been advising our team for the last two years as we have built out our operations; his experience on both the technical and managerial sides of Formula 1 and other motorsports ventures will serve him well as he builds the Cadillac Formula 1 team."

General Motors President Mark Reuss also said: “Graeme has been a pleasure to work with over the past two years and we’re excited he will lead our journey to the 2026 Formula 1 grid as Team Principal. He has great racing expertise, he knows how to assemble a high-performing team, and he embodies the values the Cadillac Formula 1 Team will represent in all its endeavors, on or off the track.”

Lawrence Barretto says…

Given how intrinsic Graeme Lowdon has been in the building of the project that reached an agreement in principle with Formula 1 to bring General Motors/Cadillac into the sport as the 11th team in 2026, it’s no surprise to see him announced as their Team Principal.

Lowdon has spent the last two years as an advisor to the American project, that already has a staff that exceeds 280 staff that includes former Renault Technical Director Nick Chester and former Renault operations chief Rob White.

The 59-year-old has extensive motorsport experiencing, including as president and sporting director of a Formula 1 team that began life as Virgin Racing back in 2010.

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - NOVEMBER 13: Manor Marussia President and Sporting Director Graeme Lowdon — Lowdon was previously Marussia President and Sporting Director before departing in 2015

Lowdon left that operation at the end of 2015 when it was called Marussia, having been instrumental in resurrecting the team following their financial issues in the latter stages of the 2014 campaign.

His passion for Formula 1 remained, though, and after acting as a motorsport consultant for several years, he returned to the paddock three years ago after playing a key role in helping Zhou Guanyu become the first Chinese driver to get a full-time seat in F1.

Alongside that role with Zhou, he’s worked on the General Motors’ project and knows it inside out. He also knows what it takes to bring a team into Formula 1 and has extensive contacts across the Formula 1 paddock and the motorsport industry that will be invaluable as General Motors look to hit the ground running on their first foray into the sport.