After months of speculation and doubts about his possible move to Toyota and with it to Formula One, Cristiano da Matta finally decided to make the switch. He moved from a CART team who allowed him to win the title to a Formula One squad in only their second year of existence. With a quick and experienced teammate, it won't be long before da Matta is put under pressure. Atlas F1's Graham Holliday analyses the Brazilian's chances ahead of his debut season

Formula One is all about making a name for yourself, driving fast and raking in a bundle of cash. Cristiano da Matta has done one of those things so far in his fledgling Formula One career. He hasn't had long enough to stash away the cash, neither has he managed to top the timesheets during winter testing. He has, however, been doing the rounds on the rumour mill without so much as turning a wheel in anger. The "will he, won't he" soap opera saga of Cristiano da Matta's signing to the Toyota Panasonic team raised more questions than maybe new boss Ove Andersson would have liked.

Both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships were sewn up long before Suzuka 2002. The only excitement (if it can be called that) many fans had to look forward to was hearing from Toyota's lips that yes, indeed Cristiano da Matta would be partnering Frenchman Olivier Panis in the one vacant seat left by outgoing Toyota drivers, Mika Salo and Allan McNish. Panis had already been confirmed for 2003 having relinquished his place at BAR for Britain's Jenson Button. At the United States Grand Prix in September Toyota team boss Andersson confirmed that the team had made their decision and would announce their second driver for 2003 at the Japanese Grand Prix. "Yes, that is right," Andersson said when asked if an announcement on the second driver would be made in Japan. "Because that is our second home race of the season, along with Germany."

Even though rumours that Sauber's Felipe Massa, Antonio Pizzonia and Takuma Sato among others were still in the running, it was widely known da Matta would be the second driver and Formula One fans the world over awaited the imminent announcement. But it didn't come. The fact that da Matta's Champ Car sponsorship duties with the Newman Haas team had yet to finish was widely presumed to be the reason for the delay in confirmation. Nothing new there.

What was new, or at least unexpected and uncalled for, was the cat and mouse game the Brazilian then went on to play with the waiting press. With the ink on the Toyota deal well and truly dry, da Matta told an expectant press that he still hadn't made a decision. When asked, "You have the offer to go to Formula One, you're trying to decide whether you take it?" da Matta answered, "Exactly." No problem with that except for the fact that he had already decided, he had already signed a contract and Andersson was set to announce it in Japan. Either that or the bigwigs over at Toyota were telling porky pies. The Brazilian dilly-dallied, proclaiming difficulty in making a decision due to an intense tug-of-war in his mind between a future in CART and one in Formula One. This ill thought out, elaborate play acting left press pundits wondering what he was playing at.

Meanwhile, Toyota's main men must have been tearing their hair out as the whole public relations nightmare began to unfurl in front of them before their new signing had even stepped inside the car, but no-one was letting on to that, at least not publicly. Of course the whole misguided mess is a mere bump in pre-season manoeuvres, one likely to be forgotten about as soon as the season begins. Toyota's hope being any slights on da Matta's character will disappear when he manages to get the job done on the track.

The 29-year old Brazilian 2002 CART Championship winner had originally expressed doubts about a possible move over to Formula One, however he now seems more upbeat about the prospect, "I did have some doubts about coming into F1 because I was in a very good situation in CART," he said. "I knew with Toyota next year I probably won't be able to win any races. After I made my choice, I didn't have any doubts. I'm 100 percent into this now. There is not even 0.0001 percent of a doubt."

Da Matta's only other foray into European racing has been with the British Formula Three series, where he finished eighth with one win, followed by Formula 3000, where he also finished eighth before making the move to the USA and Indy Lights in 1997, where he managed to make more of an impression. If he is to follow the pattern of those who have crossed over to Formula One before him, he would appear to have a 50/50 chance of success. Jacques Villeneuve and Juan Pablo Montoya both excelled, whereas Italian Alex Zanardi and American Michael Andretti floundered.

For their part, the ex-men of Toyota think he could be more in the Andretti/Zanardi mould of Formula One driver, "I think da Matta will struggle a bit," said Finn Mika Salo last week. "When he tested for us in the summer he was driving the same day as Allan (McNish) and he was two seconds slower. And Paul Ricard is the easiest circuit in the world."

Sour grapes from the Finn, maybe, Allan McNish was at least a little more restrained in his opinion, "Da Matta is more high-profile (than Panis) because he has just won the CART championship but only time will tell whether he can do it in F1."

Having scored just two points in their debut season to finish 10th overall Toyota will be aiming to crank things up a gear in 2003. However, the team could find it far harder to make a mark against their rivals in their second full year racing. Da Matta says he is under no illusions about what awaits him, "I will be able to win races but it is going to take time I am sure," he said. "It won't be frustrating because in my first year I am not expecting to fight for victories. I am expecting to start the work and build up on it and maybe score some points next year and build on what the team did this year, improve the performance. Then in 2004 improve even more and who knows fight for more points and podiums and race wins."

His partnership with Panis and his friendship with fellow Brazilian Barrichello and Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya will be crucial if he is to see the steep Formula One learning curve decrease rapidly. And he has warmed to Panis, who has gleaned a great deal of technical know-how in Formula One over the years, "He is very good, a normal nice guy, both feet on the ground. He says to me 'if you have any questions, any problem, anything you want to ask just ask me.' You don't get this from your teammate all the time."

Da Matta signed a two-year deal with the Cologne-based outfit, although former driver Salo can testify to the strength of that particular piece of paper. Toyota team boss Andersson has made it clear he's not scared of making radical decisions to get the job done the best way he sees fit and although he admits 2002 went very well he will be expecting more from his new driver partnership, "In my mind I feel we came with the aim of showing that we are serious, in our efforts, and we came to qualify for every race and we got some points as a bonus. I feel it has gone better than I dared to expect when we started."

Only when Toyota unveil their 2003 TF103 Formula One contender at the French Le Castellet circuit on January 8 will the world get its first glimpse of men and machine as they will be at Albert Park in March. The Brazilian's first target will be his teammate Panis and he'll need to match the man from Lyon on a regular basis in the new format qualifying session if his tenure at the pinnacle of motorsport is to last longer than his forebears. Panis is no slouch either, having matched 1997 Champion Villeneuve at BAR on a regular basis.

The Brazilian is philosophical about his new job and, as he says, there is always another option, "If it does not work or I am not good enough then I can go back home and ride my bike, maybe find another series to race. But I have a feeling that it is going to work very well."