Cadillac launched their first F1 car with an $8m Super Bowl ad and got sued

Renowned American film director Michael Bay has filed a lawsuit against Cadillac F1 team for its 2026 car launch which aired as an ad during Super Bowl LX on Sunday night.

Cadillac opted to unveil their first ever F1 car via an advert which aired during half-time of the matchup between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, an advertising slot which normally costs brands between $8million-$10million.

The F1 team aired an advert which featured the voice of the 35th President of the United States John F.Kennedy, as well as their full car livery design having the backdrop of a desert.

It was supposed to mimic the launch of a NASA space rocket, and featured a countdown and the slogan 'the mission begins'.

Overall, the advert was a hit, with many fans enjoying the creative direction on social media, as well as the team's actual livery, which is a black and grey mirrored design.

Ad drew plaudits, but also a lawsuit

However, the Cadillac Super Bowl advert is also now the subject of a lawsuit from renowned director Bay - who is known for directing the Transformers franchise, Armageddon and The Island - with the 60-year-old alleging that Cadillac and its CEO Dan Towriss 'stole his ideas'.

Bay has filed a $1.5million lawsuit for an alleged breach of contract and alleged fraud, after he was reportedly told that Cadillac were going in a 'different direction' with their advert following initial meetings with the director, before he alleges that his ideas were used anyway.

Bay has directed Super Bowl adverts before, and alleges that he had started the ball rolling on this one following a verbal agreement with Towriss, before being told that his services were no longer needed.

According to the legal filing, 'throughout this process, the defendants and their agents worked with Bay and Bay’s team as if Bay had in fact been hired for the project.'

GPFans have contacted Cadillac for comment on the matter.

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Cadillac's grand plan for F1 2026

American car giants Cadillac took an unusual approach to the launch of their first ever F1 car, clearly designed to try and get American audiences on their side.

Alongside the Super Bowl advert, Cadillac also had a huge advertising screen in Times Square which 'thawed' over the course of Sunday to unveil the car at the same time that the advert aired on TV.

Cadillac are trying to garner interest in their project, with a long-term ambition to become an established outfit in the sport being supported by the entry of another American car manufacturer in General Motors in 2028, who will be Cadillac's power unit supplier.

The $1.5 million that director Bay is seeking equals the amount that his director’s and producer’s fees would be, as well as punitive damages. The complaint covers four allegations, a breach of verbal contract, breach of implied-in-fact contract, goods and services rendered and fraud.

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