Cristiano da Matta

Cristiano Monteiro da Matta (born 19 September 1973) is a Brazilian former racing driver who won the 2002 CART championship before competing in Formula One for Toyota from 2003 to 2004. Born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, da Matta is the son of Toninho da Matta, a 14-time Brazilian touring car champion, inheriting his father's racing talent and adopting a helmet design nearly identical to his famous father's. Da Matta began karting at age 16, relatively late compared to most professional drivers, but quickly rose to the top by winning numerous karting championships. He won the 1993 Brazilian Formula Ford championship and the 1994 Brazilian Formula 3 championship, defeating future IndyCar stars Hélio Castroneves and Ricardo Zonta.

In 1995, da Matta competed in British Formula 3, winning one race and finishing eighth. He moved to Formula 3000 in 1996, finishing eighth with a best result of fourth at Pau. In 1997, da Matta relocated to the United States for Indy Lights, winning Rookie of the Year honors. He dominated the 1998 championship, winning seven races and securing four pole positions to claim the title. Da Matta moved to CART in 1999 with Team Arciero Wells, driving Toyota-powered cars from then until 2004.

His first CART win came in 2000, and despite sponsor opposition, he joined the prestigious Newman/Haas Racing team for 2001. In 2002, da Matta won the CART championship with Newman/Haas Racing, dominating with seven race wins and seven poles, establishing himself as one of America's top open-wheel drivers. His championship success earned him a Formula One opportunity with Toyota for 2003. Da Matta scored 10 championship points in his Formula One debut season, four more than seasoned teammate Olivier Panis, demonstrating immediate competitiveness.

At the 2003 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, da Matta led for 17 laps after a protester invaded the track, triggering Safety Car deployment that caused most frontrunners to make unscheduled pit stops. He ultimately finished seventh for one of four points-scoring finishes in his debut season. However, 2004 proved disastrous. Having scored only three championship points, da Matta lost his race seat to Ricardo Zonta after the German Grand Prix.

His dismissal resulted partly from performance issues but also from da Matta openly criticizing Toyota's uncompetitive car, statements that damaged his relationship with the team. In 2005, da Matta returned to Champ Car with PKV Racing, winning at Portland and finishing 11th overall. On 3 August 2006, during Champ Car testing at Road America, da Matta's car collided with a deer that ran onto the track. The deer flew back and struck da Matta in the cockpit, causing severe head injuries.

He was airlifted to Theda Clark Medical Center where he underwent surgery to remove a subdural hematoma. The accident ended his frontline racing career. Da Matta attempted a comeback, testing a Daytona Prototype for GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing on 20 March 2008. While he demonstrated some of his previous speed, the injuries prevented a full return to competitive racing at the highest level. Cristiano da Matta's career represents unfulfilled potential—a CART champion whose Formula One opportunity came with an uncompetitive team and whose post-F1 career was tragically curtailed by a freak accident.

His 2002 CART championship remains his greatest achievement, demonstrating the talent that briefly reached Formula One.