Formula 1

Renowned director Michael Bay has filed a $1.5-million lawsuit regarding Cadillac’s Formula 1 Super Bowl advertisement, claiming that Dan Towriss, the team’s CEO, and “his Cadillac F1 team have apparently stolen Bay’s ideas and work for the commercial, without paying for them,” according to the complaint recently filed in Los Angeles.

The Athletic obtained a copy of the breach-of-contract and fraud lawsuit, which was filed Friday. According to the complaint, Towriss approached Bay in November 2025 to request that Bay produce and direct the commercial. Bay, known for his films “Transformers” and “Armageddon,” has created Super Bowl advertisements before and has a 25-year-long relationship with the F1 team’s parent company, General Motors.

The purpose of the advertisement is to introduce Cadillac F1 in an “American” way, revealing the livery via a Super Bowl commercial and a Times Square multi-day activation. According to the complaint, “Towriss wanted to hire a renowned American director,” given that this is an American F1 team.

According to the complaint, during a Webex call before Bay was officially hired, Towriss mentioned different ideas to Bay, such as including a John F. Kennedy speech or whether the desert would be a good background. Bay, per the complaint, showed examples of work he has done that included these features, including “Transformers 3” and “Armageddon.” Bay claims that he presented his sales pitch two days later, and that Towriss allegedly said Bay was hired, saying, “OK, let’s get to work. I will let everyone know.”