Hours before Cadillac\u2019s Super Bowl commercial aired, it was reported that film director Michael Bay is suing the F1 team in a lawsuit that alleges the team had \u201cstolen Bay\u2019s ideas and work\u201d for the ad.<\/p>\n
Cadillac has denied this, saying the concept had already been developed and that it was only \u201cexploring\u201d him as a director for the commercial.<\/p>\n
Michael Bay is reportedly suing Cadillac<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n Cadillac made Formula 1 history on Sunday night as the team unveiled its F1 2026 livery in a Super Bowl commercial shown during the fourth quarter of the final.<\/p>\n However, just hours prior,\u00a0Rolling Stone<\/a>\u00a0reported that film director Bay was suing Cadillac for $1.5 million in damages relating to that ad.<\/p>\n The lawsuit claims that Cadillac had \u201capparently stolen Bay\u2019s ideas and work for the commercial without paying for them\u201d, adding that the team \u201cplanned all along to rip him off. They wanted a \u2018Michael Bay\u2019 commercial, in other words, at a bargain-basement price.<\/p>\n \u201cBay and his team worked tirelessly around the clock to prepare for this production. Bay personally pulled an all-nighter that evening, putting together various ideas for the project.\u201d<\/p>\n Bay, however, was then informed via a text message that Cadillac was going in \u201ca different direction.\u201d<\/p>\n More on Cadillac in F1<\/p>\n The real hard work is only just beginning for Audi and Cadillac<\/a><\/p>\n Cadillac set for extra track time ahead of second pre-season test in Bahrain<\/a><\/p>\n The director reportedly later saw promotional materials for the Cadillac ad and noticed some familiar elements that he had proposed, specifically \u201cshimmering\u201d and \u201chighly reflective gold chrome\u201d finishes.<\/p>\n Bay is suing for $1.5 million in damages, which represents his standard director\u2019s fee plus his team\u2019s producer fees.<\/p>\n Cadillac, however, has denied any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n A Cadillac Formula 1 Team Spokesperson told PlanetF1.com: \u201cMichael Bay is a cinematic genius and we talked with him about directing our Superbowl ad. But after two meetings, it became clear he couldn\u2019t meet our timeline, and there ultimately wasn\u2019t a path forward.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s unclear why he\u2019s bringing this claim, since the concept and creative were already developed and we were only exploring him as a director. It\u2019s also unusual to raise this now, given the ad hasn\u2019t even been released.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re confident this will be resolved appropriately. Even so, we still admire Michael Bay\u2019s creative brilliance and would welcome the opportunity to work together in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n Additional reporting by Mat Coch<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n