Da Matta Cristiano(Brazil, 19/09/1973)

Cristiano da Matta (full name: Cristiano Monteiro da Matta) was born on 19 September 1973 in Belo Horizonte, in the state of Minas Gerais (Brazil). After standing out in single-seaters across Brazil, Europe and the United States, he built the most important part of his career in American series, culminating in a CART title before moving to Formula 1 with Toyota.

After karting, da Matta won the Brazilian Formula Ford championship in 1993 and the Brazilian Formula 3 title in 1994. His progress continued in Europe: in 1995 he competed in British Formula 3 with West Surrey Racing, then in 1996 raced in the International Formula 3000 with Pacific Racing. The real breakthrough came with his move to the United States: in 1997 he debuted in Indy Lights and finished the season as a front-runner, while in 1998 he won the championship, opening the doors to top-level American open-wheel racing.

From 1999 he competed full-time in CART (then the FedEx Championship Series). After initial seasons of adaptation, he found consistency with Newman/Haas Racing and in 2002 delivered his breakthrough year, winning the 2002 CART Championship with a benchmark season marked by strong qualifying and race effectiveness. That title, achieved with Toyota power, was the key step towards Europe and Formula 1.

His World Championship debut came in 2003 with Toyota. His first Formula 1 season was solid for a rookie, scoring points and achieving a performance peak with two sixth-place finishes (Spain and Germany). The 2003 results are also recorded in the official category standings, which document his debut at the Australian Grand Prix and his season-long progress. In the same year, his one-lap pace was highlighted by a notable qualifying result, setting the third fastest time in Japan, as reported in official Toyota profiles.

The 2004 season was more difficult: da Matta again scored points and achieved a season-best sixth place at Monaco, but mid-season the team opted for a change, replacing him with Ricardo Zonta from the Hungarian Grand Prix onwards. His Formula 1 experience therefore ended after two seasons and 28 Grands Prix, all with Toyota.

After leaving Europe, he returned to American series. In 2005 he rejoined Champ Car and claimed a prestigious victory at Portland, confirming his competitiveness in a familiar environment. In 2006, during a test at Road America, he was involved in a widely reported incident when his car collided with a deer crossing the track, causing a serious accident and a long recovery period. After rehabilitation, his competitive presence became more sporadic.

Among curiosities documented in official Toyota profiles, da Matta listed interests outside racing such as playing guitar and activities like cycling and swimming, elements frequently included in his public presentation during his Formula 1 years.

GP Results

GP/Points Graph

Year	Team	Chassis	Points
2004	Toyota	TF104	3
2003	Toyota	TF103	10

* World Championships with at least 1 point won (since 2001)

Year	Team	Teammate	Win
2003	Panasonic Toyota Racing (TF103)	Panis O.	0 VS 16
Total			0 VS 16

Grand Prix	Team	Chassis	Pos.
Bahrain GP 2004	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF104	10
Monaco GP 2004	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF104	6
Malaysian GP 2004	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF104	9
Japanese GP 2003	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF103	7
United States GP 2003	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF103	9
German GP 2003	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF103	6
British GP 2003	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF103	7
Monaco GP 2003	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF103	9
Austrian GP 2003	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF103	10
Spanish GP 2003	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF103	6
Brazilian GP 2003	Panasonic Toyota Racing	TF103	10

* Grand prix finishes in the top 10 (since 2001)

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