Revealing that it was his decision to fire team boss Graeme Lowdon, Dan Towriss admits that the Briton was not given advance warning.

Like so much of the Cadillac operation the appointment of the former Manor team boss raised eyebrows when it was announced. However, considering the absolutely monumental task he faced, building an F1 team, spread across the globe, from scratch, Lowdon appeared to be doing a decent job of it.

Then, on Wednesday, in the middle of the summer shutdown, it was announced that he had been fired and replaced by Marcin Budkowski.

"It was my decision" Towriss admitted in a subsequent conference call with the media. "It wasn't a mutual decision," he added. "The process started a few months ago, thinking about what the next phase for Cadillac Formula 1 looks like. What's the right timing, how would that look, and then the capabilities of the various folks out there.

"We were delighted with the conversation with Marcin and how that relationship evolved," he continued. "So Graeme and I spoke this morning. I think it is a very recent conversation from that perspective.

"But there's no easy way to make this transition within Formula 1," he admitted. "Can you imagine the press if Marcin strolled through for a tour of the factory or having these conversations? It becomes destabilising at that point and so it's important to respect the view of the leadership that's in place at that time.

"It does compress the decision-making, the timeline and how these things come together. It makes it feel more abrupt than it would be otherwise, but it's the nature of Formula 1 and it's the way it had to happen."

Asked, pointedly, if Lowdon had always been a 'stop gap', Towriss replied: "I don't think it's fair to say that he was here in an interim capacity. It really is a function of performance and how things evolved.

"Those are certainly going to be discussions that are going to be kept between Graeme and myself, as to where those aligned and where they didn't align. What I can say is, what was accomplished, I have immense respect for. This isn't an interim period for me and for Graeme, it's almost a four-year period of planning and building and doing all the pieces. So it was the right time based on the circumstances that exist both within the sport and within the team and so this is the right time and the right place to make that step going forward.

"Anytime we're making a transition in Formula 1, as you guys know, it's very difficult. It's very difficult to keep it quiet, that there weren't a myriad of leaks around that. But here we are. We're again very grateful to Graeme for what he brought to the team and very excited about Marcin's leadership and what the future looks like for Cadillac."

In Budkowski, the team has gone for a different kind of leader, one who is very much rooted in the technical side of the sport. Nonetheless, the obstacles Cadillac faces are numerous, and not helped by the fact that the American outfit is spread across the globe.

A lot of those issues, which to different degrees do exist, I think are teething issues," said Towriss. "I think in new organizations, communication is always going to be a focal point to improve, making sure things are organized correctly, aligned correctly, and maintaining morale through that building phase. So those issues are to be expected, and they do exist in different degrees.

"As we look to the future, we're looking at a model with a very strong technical team principal," he continued. "And I think if you look at Marcin's background, what he's accomplished in Formula 1, he certainly fits the bill.

"Also, I think the time that Marcin has had away from Formula 1 provides him with a perspective to look at both how F1 has evolved and developed, look at the resources across General Motors and TWG, and really look at what a future vision of a Formula 1 team can look like."

Part of that vision, is to take the team closer to GM, physically as well as technically.

"Obviously, with the concentration of F1 talent in the UK, the bulk of our recruitment has been in the UK and is moving into a more US-centric phase going forward," said Towriss. "That is not by moving people, but by continuing to grow the organization in other locations.

"We're also looking at innovation capabilities from other industries," he continued. "Marcin mentioned aerospace and there are some other industries as well. And again, further integration of the tool set available at GM. We'll be looking at all of those things, integrating those across all the locations."

Considering the almost daily comments from Guenther Steiner in some sections of the media, we're amazed the Italian didn't get the gig. Or maybe not.