Cristiano da Matta

Cristiano da Matta is a Brazilian former professional racing driver best known for winning the 2002 CART Championship before making the leap to Formula One with Toyota. Though his time in F1 was brief, da Matta showed moments of promise, particularly in his debut season, where he occasionally ran with the sport’s front-runners.

Nationality	Brazilian
Born	Cristiano Monteiro da Matta 19 September 1973 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Formula One Career

Toyota: 2003–2004

Fresh off his championship-winning campaign in the 2002 CART series, da Matta made the move to Formula One in 2003, joining the Toyota team. He arrived with high expectations and quickly began to prove he belonged.

In his rookie F1 season, da Matta scored 10 championship points, outscoring his more experienced teammate Olivier Panis by four. One of his most eye-catching performances came in just his third race—the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix—where he spent much of the rain-soaked afternoon hassling none other than reigning World Champion Michael Schumacher. While he ultimately finished tenth, his pace in treacherous conditions didn’t go unnoticed.

Da Matta’s standout moment came at Silverstone during the 2003 British Grand Prix. A track invader brought out the Safety Car mid-race, forcing many of the front-runners to make unplanned pit stops. This left da Matta at the head of the field, and he went on to lead the race for 17 laps—a career highlight and a significant moment for Toyota, which was still relatively new to Formula One. He went on to finish seventh, picking up valuable points.

By the end of the 2003 season, he had secured four points-scoring finishes, establishing himself as a dependable, if not yet standout, talent on the grid.

The 2004 season, however, proved far more difficult. Toyota’s pace stagnated, and da Matta found himself unable to replicate his rookie form. He managed just three points in the first half of the season, and tensions grew between driver and team.

Da Matta became increasingly vocal about Toyota’s lack of competitiveness—an unusual move in the politically sensitive world of Formula One. These comments, combined with his dip in performance, ultimately led to his dismissal after the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, where he was replaced by fellow Brazilian Ricardo Zonta.

After departing Formula One, da Matta returned to American open-wheel racing and continued competing in top-level motorsport. While his time in F1 was relatively short, he remains one of the few CART champions to make the jump directly into a Formula One race seat.