Cadillac lures former Red Bull design chief Skinner in three-pronged technical overhaul

Cadillac F1 has signed three senior technical figures — Craig Skinner, Eric Blandin and Tim Lean — as new team principal Marcin Budkowski moves to accelerate the American outfit’s development ahead of its second Formula 1 season in 2027.

Skinner, who served as chief designer at Red Bull Racing, joins Cadillac as chief development engineer, bringing championship-winning pedigree to a team still finding its feet at the top level. Eric Blandin, formerly deputy technical chief at Aston Martin, takes on the role of head of aerodynamics. Completing the trio is Tim Lean, appointed Chief Engineer for Aerodynamics Modelling and Simulation; Lean arrives with experience spanning McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari and will report directly to Blandin.

Cadillac made its debut this season as Formula 1’s 11th team, entering under the stewardship of former Manor man Graeme Lowdon with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas as its drivers. The Ferrari-powered MAC-26 produced a respectable maiden campaign, but management grew impatient with the pace of development, and during the summer break CEO Dan Towriss replaced Lowdon with former Alpine executive Budkowski.

Budkowski’s immediate brief has been to address operational and build-quality issues while drawing more effectively on the resources of co-owner General Motors. The three new hires represent the next phase of that rebuild, with the team announcing that all three will join “in the next few months” given the gardening-leave periods involved.

“These appointments represent a vital step in the technical evolution of the team,” Budkowski said. “Bringing together experienced leadership across development, aerodynamics and modelling will help us create a stronger integrated technical organisation and improve performance on track. Craig, Eric and Tim bring race and championship-winning experience to Cadillac F1 in areas that are central to our long-term development.”

Cadillac recently opened a new UK base at Silverstone and is also developing a state-of-the-art facility in Fishers, Indiana. The signings come despite lingering uncertainty around part of the team’s ownership structure, following a wider investigation into Mark Walter, owner of the TWG Global group that holds a majority stake in the team. The recruitment of three high-profile technical names suggests the organisation is pressing ahead regardless.