Word on the street is that there is no such thing as bad publicity, but we can’t help but wonder if this sentiment is true for the Cadillac F1 Team, which is currently being sued as it prepares to start its first season.
The lawsuit was filed by film director Michael Bay, who claims his ideas were used without credit or compensation in a new Caddy ad featuring the livery of his F1 car. According to a report from Athetic PeopleBay is suing the Cadillac F1 team for $1.5 million – a hefty sum, although only a drop in the bucket compared to the $450 million dollar “entry fee” the luxury brand paid to enter F1. Notably, the cost is more than double the $200 million specified in the 2021 Concorde Agreement.
The reason Bay is seeking these damages stems from the fact that Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss named the director as the source for the ad in November 2025. The partnership was a no-brainer, as Towriss wanted to hire “a famous American director” to echo the team’s patriotic ethos, while Bay has worked with Cadillac’s parent company, GM, in the past to create ads.
To discuss the show, Bay and Towriss met via video conference, where Bay shared ideas for using a desert setting as well as JFK sound bites, both of which are common elements in real Super Bowl commercials. Towriss would tell Bay he was hired at the end of the meeting, according to the complaint filed in Los Angeles, California.
According to the filing, “during this process, Defendants and their agents worked with Bay and Bay’s team as if Bay were actually hired for the project.” Everything was fine and dandy until December 6ththwhen he was told he had been removed from the project, at which point the Cadillac F1 team allegedly continued with his vision.
We’ll continue to monitor this and report back if we know more. In the meantime, watch the ad in question below.
