Da Matta was treated like trash by Toyota in Formula 1 due to his criticism with Mike Gascoyne, who made a very poor job at the time. Then, he made the wrong decision to come back to Champ Car, not IRL... The rest is story.
I mean, he didn't do *bad* in F1. His 2003 season was pretty great for a rookie. His 2004 season wasn't great though and that probably hurt his career a bit. Probably should've done endurance racing or DTM after that instead of going back to champcars. That series was running on fumes by 2005.
Da Matta was treated like trash by Toyota in Formula 1 due to his criticism with Mike Gascoyne, who made a very poor job at the time. Then, he made the wrong decision to come back to Champ Car, not IRL... The rest is story.
CART>>>>>>>>>>>IRL
Téo José SBT Não Perde Mais Cristiano da Matta
Oscar Ulisses Record TV Da Lhe Cristiano Capricha Cristiano da Matta
I mean, he didn't do *bad* in F1. His 2003 season was pretty great for a rookie. His 2004 season wasn't great though and that probably hurt his career a bit. Probably should've done endurance racing or DTM after that instead of going back to champcars. That series was running on fumes by 2005.
Toyota made a uncompetitive car for 2004 so he didn't adpted with this model and was fired after Germany GP.
2000
Motegi
2001
Monterrey
Surfers' Paradise
Fontana
2002
Monterrey
Laguna Seca
Portland
Chicago
Toronto
Road America
Miami
2005
Portland
Really doesn't get the credit he deserves imo. Had he not gone to F1 could've easily had more than 12 wins.
No INDY, CART SERIES