Cadillac finally took the covers off its first Formula 1 car in grand fashion on Sunday, debuting its asymmetrical livery in a fourth quarter Super Bowl ad. The slick commercial was scored by one of John F. Kennedy’s most famous speeches, drawing a direct line between the U.S. space program of the 1960s and GM’s own ‘moonshot.’ It was an impressive way to launch a program, but one that drew some legal trouble from an unlikely source.
On Friday, Rolling Stone reported that the team was being sued by action movie director Michael Bay. The auteur behind Bad Boys, The Rock, and five Transformers movies alleges in the suit that he had worked extensively on the project starting in November, introducing both the specific Kennedy speech and the desert setting to a plan originally presented by Cadillac F1 leader Dan Towriss. The complaint goes on to claim that an ad agency later told Bay that the team planned to “go in a different direction,” ending his part in a production that ended up including many of what the suit alleges are his original ideas.
Towriss briefly spoke with media about the lawsuit on Sunday, shortly after the ad first aired. He suggested that the team already had a creative direction in mind, limiting what Bay’s planned role in the production would have been if he had been signed to direct the piece.
“We have a lot of respect for Michael [Bay],” Towriss said. He added that the team was “Disappointed that he chose to [sue]. Certainly all of the creative was was done well in advance of ever speaking with him. We were wanting to talk to him about a role as director, not not taking creative ideas from him. And so I think the group Translation that we worked with did an excellent job developing all that. And so we’re confident it’ll be resolved amicably. But from our standpoint, last night was a huge success, and we’re very proud of the work that was done. And that’s all I can say on it.”
That amicable resolution could end up being costly for the team. Bay’s complaint claims breach of verbal contract, breach of implied-in-face contract, and fraud. As a result, he is asking for his $1.5 million director’s and producer’s fees in addition to punitive damages.
Fred Smith’s love of cars comes from his fascination with auto racing. Unfortunately, that passion led him to daily drive a high-mileage, first-year Porsche Panamera. He is still thinking about the last lap of the 2011 Indianapolis 500.
