Cadillac team principal joins growing list of F1 bosses who failed to see out the year

As has been known for several days, Cadillac has opted for a change at the top, thanking Lowdon for his work during the first half of the season and replacing him with another highly experienced figure in Marcin Budkowski, already well known for his previous roles in Formula 1.

The most recent example came as early as March this year, when Jonathan Wheatley left Audi with immediate effect after just two races of the German manufacturer's debut Formula 1 campaign.

However, unlike some of the other cases on this list, Wheatley's departure was not a firing, with Audi stating that the former Red Bull sporting director had decided to step away for personal reasons. Mattia Binotto subsequently took over his responsibilities as team principal, while Wheatley remains without a confirmed new role for the time being.

Arguably the most seismic change at the top in recent years came at Red Bull, where Christian Horner's two-decade spell in charge came to an end in 2025.

Horner had led the team since Red Bull entered Formula 1 in 2005, overseeing six Constructors' Championships and eight Drivers' titles during one of the most successful periods in the sport's history. His departure therefore marked the end of an era at Milton Keynes, with Laurent Mekies brought in to take over the leadership of the team.

Alpine, meanwhile, have experienced not one, not two, but three changes at the top in the space of less than two years. Otmar Szafnauer was the first to leave, departing after the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix as part of a major management reshuffle.

Bruno Famin initially stepped in on an interim basis before remaining in charge for the start of 2024, only to step down from the team principal role during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, with Oliver Oakes taking over after the summer break. Oakes' spell proved even shorter, as he resigned with immediate effect in May 2025, less than a year after his appointment, with Flavio Briatore subsequently taking over his responsibilities.

Another emblematic case is that of Stefano Domenicali, whose long spell at the helm of Ferrari came to an end just three races into the 2014 season. After a difficult start to the campaign, which saw the Scuderia struggle to match Mercedes and Red Bull under the new regulations, Domenicali resigned from his position in April, taking responsibility for the team's disappointing results. Ferrari moved quickly to replace him with Marco Mattiacci, who stepped into the team principal role ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.