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da Matta equates Jordan with Arrows!

We’re unique !
By Huw Alban September 25 2002
CART star Cristiano da Matta hasn’t even made it into F1 yet, and he is already picking and choosing his way through the paddock. It appears that the Brazilian isn’t afraid to speak his mind, giving Arrows the cold shoulder in his list of preferred drives.

“I wouldn’t exchange Newman-Haas for Arrows or Jordan,” he has been quoted as saying to the Indianapolis Star. “My dream is to keep having fun with racing for as long as I can, and that means being able to win races and win championships.”

His knowledge of F1 must be questioned at this point, as he clearly equated Jordan as being in the same league as Arrows, and there is no mention of the perennial backmarker Minardi.

“Some guys, they think F1 is the greatest,” he continued. “But I’m not going to go there just to be a number. I think it’s a good series, but it’s not a dream. It’s just something I want to try.”

Earlier this week the Jordan Fans Online site at SportNetwork announced that da Matta had been confirmed at Toyota, although there has been no official confirmation from the team itself. It appears that Cristiano just sees F1 as another racing series, rather than the pinnacle of a racing career, and it remains to be seen whether Toyota can actually deliver the kind of performance that he wants.

“The biggest difference between CART and F1 is the tradition. F1 is the same as NASCAR here. It’s been around since the 1950s. It’s more international than CART, and for a Brazilian that’s a big difference. We had Émerson, Piquet and Senna, while in CART the only champion we had was Émerson, until a few years ago with Gil (de Ferran).

“People like to say the CART champion went there and didn’t do well. I think maybe F1 paints it that way. Let them come here and race and talk to me then. You think Jacques Villeneuve has forgotten how to drive? No. The difference in equipment is so big over there. In F1, they always think they are the best at whatever they do. They think CART is a step below.

“Here you can fix a problem in a year. There it takes longer. Even Schumacher, it took him a few years to get where he is today. If I should go, I don’t feel like it would be a promotion. It would just feel like a different challenge. Not better or worse. Just different.”

If da Matta does come to F1, then it’s going to be very interesting to see whether the Toyota press office has any influence over what he says. In any case, it might also be the breath of fresh air that F1 sometimes needs. I wonder whether he’ll end up at Arrows one day? Any bets?


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