More than a week before the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, the Formula 1 world was abruptly awakened from its summer break.

At 3pm UK time, Cadillac decided the time was right to make a shock announcement: Graeme Lowdon had been replaced as team principal with immediate effect by Marcin Budkowski.

Two elements of that news are not particularly strange in themselves. For many in the paddock, it had already been clear for some time that while the well-liked Lowdon had been crucial during the team’s initial build-up phase, he would not remain team principal in the longer term.

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Nor is it particularly su