Da Matta brings guitar and a bicycle to Formula One

Christiano Da Matta got lost on his way to a press briefing here, which was hardly surprising since he seemingly took an age to decide Formula One was the course for him.

However, now that he has arrived he is intent on exuding self-assurance. Having won the CART championship, he is now entering Grand Prix racing alongside the experienced Frenchman, Olivier Panis, in an all-new driver line up at Toyota.

The wheels of a new championship cycle are in motion here as are the first of the winter test sessions. For Toyota, embarking on a second year in competition, it is almost a re-launch. Their original drivers, Mika Salo and Allan McNish, have been discarded. The team seeks another step forward and the input of the 36-year-old Panis is considered crucial, paving the way to the introduction of a "real star" and an assault on the big boys.

Da Matta, a 29-year-old Brazilian, is the unknown quantity. He was signed with a commercial eye on the South American market and a hunch that he might ruffle the feathers of the established drivers. Financial gain, Da Matta maintains, never figured in his calculations. A diminutive figure, he expresses himself in a forthright manner expected in the North American sporting arena. "I don't care about the money," he said. "I'll make less here than in America because of the prize money I was getting over there. I have a simple lifestyle. As long as I have my guitar and bicycle I have all I need. I'm happy.

"I'm here in Formula One because I wanted a new challenge. Winning the CART championship was one of the biggest reasons for coming over. I've done that. I needed to move on. Toyota have given me that opportunity. It is a team with a bright future. In some ways there is more pressure on me because I am a champion. More is expected of me. But in my head, no, there is not more pressure."

The former CART title holders Jacques Villeneuve and Juan Pablo Montoya have acquitted themselves in Formula One, the Canadian winning the world championship in 1997 and the Colombian emerging as a possible champion of the future. All, of course, must ultimately be judged by the standards of Michael Schumacher, and Da Matta is prepared for his examination. He said: "I don't know if I am as good as Montoya or Villeneuve. We will see next year. Schumacher is the best, as his record shows. But I'm not scared of Schumacher or anybody else. If you have the guts you have a chance.

"I'm not expecting to fight for the championship or win races in my first season. You have to go step by step. If I wanted to stay a hero, winning races, I would have stayed in America. This is a new stage in my career. It will take time."

Da Matta was encouraged to take this plunge by his countryman, Rubens Barrichello, and Montoya. He is looking forward to driving on a higher grade of circuit and working with more sophisticated facilities. But in no way is this a crusade inspired by the memory of Brazil's greatest son, Ayrton Senna.

"For me it is not because of Ayrton," Da Matta said. "It is for me, for my personal satisfaction. It is about driving well, working the car to the limit, and collecting results. If I lose my job and have to leave the series because I'm slow that will hurt me."

Da Matta and Panis have two-year contracts, although Toyota dismissed Salo a year before the end of his deal and they will be similarly demanding next year.

Panis, at 36, an elder statesman, is undaunted. He said: "My age is not important – it's the motivation I have. We have the resources to fight with the best teams in Formula One."

* The Brazilian driver Antonio Pizzonia destroyed a Jaguar saloon in a spectacular crash as he gave three passengers a ride at the Barcelona test track yesterday. Pizzonia, who will make his grand prix debut for Jaguar in Australia in March, rolled the luxury car at 155mph after accelerating flat out into the first corner. No one was hurt, but the car was declared a write-off.