New F1 team principal announced ahead of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

An image of Graeme Lowdon and Toto Wolff at the 2015 Mexican GP — Photo: © IMAGO

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New F1 team principal announced ahead of Abu Dhabi GP

The news dropped just hours ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson

Friday 6 December 2024 08:57

A new Formula 1 team principal has been announced on the eve of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The race at Yas Marina Circuit this weekend brings the curtain down on what has been an incredibly exciting 2024 campaign to date.

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Although Max Verstappen was eventually crowned a four-time champion in Las Vegas, McLaren's Lando Norris at least gave us somewhat of a championship battle throughout the campaign.

Meanwhile, McLaren and Ferrari's race to the constructors' title is going down to the wire on Sunday, with the Woking-based team currently 21 points ahead of their Italian counterparts after last weekend's Qatar Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen celebrated a fourth world championship in 2024

McLaren lead the constructors' standings heading into the season finale

General Motors/Cadillac announce team principal

2024 really has been a season to signify that F1 is continuing to head in the right direction, and that was further cemented late last month when it was announced that an 11th team is set to join the grid.

F1 confirmed in November that General Motors had provisionally agreed to enter the sport in 2026 under the name Cadillac, becoming a works team and making their own engines further down the line.

Since then, much has been made of which drivers the team could go for, or which engine they would pursue at the start of their F1 adventure, but now, the team have made their first major acquisition.

It has been announced that former Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon will be the project's team principal.

"I’m truly honoured 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.

Lowdon previously worked in F1 as Marussia sporting director

“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.”

On top of his former role in F1, Lowdon has also previously served as an advisor to General Motors on their project, as well as playing a role in the management of Zhou Guanyu.

"Graeme has been advising our team for the last two years as we have built out our operations," Dan Towriss, CEO of TWG Global’s motorsport business explained.

"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."

Max Verstappen Ferrari McLaren Lando Norris Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Qatar Grand Prix