Da Matta Urges Toyota to Give Him More Time

Brazilian Cristiano da Matta has urged Toyota to have faith in him for at least another year in Formula One.

The former CART champion is under pressure as his Germany-based team assess their options for next year with a list of drivers, led by Michael Schumacher's younger brother Ralf, in the frame.

Neither 30-year-old da Matta nor French veteran Olivier Panis, at 37 the oldest driver in Formula One, can be sure of staying on.

"Right now, they have an option for me for next year. I hope they give me the opportunity to continue to give me a chance because I was in a situation that was very good," said the Brazilian at the Canadian Grand Prix.

"I was racing over here, winning races. I was with a stable team and a very good team, it was a team that still is like a family to me," he added, referring to his dominant CART days with the Newman/Haas team.

"To come here and do only two years is not enough of an opportunity. I'm not going to say they (Toyota) must give me another year at least minimum, but I feel they have to."

Toyota have said they will make a decision on their drivers some time in the second half of the 18-race season, which reaches the midpoint at Indianapolis in the United States next week.

"We know that the TF104 lacks performance and where our weaknesses are," said team boss Tsutomo Tomita last month. "We do not blame our drivers for this."

The team has scored just four points so far this year and are seventh overall.

Little Comfort

The past will give the affable Brazilian little comfort, Toyota ditching their very first driver line-up of Briton Allan McNish and Finland's Mika Salo after just one season in 2002.

Da Matta has previously won championships in virtually every major series, but Toyota have a long way to go before they can start fighting for podiums and victories.

Da Matta's debut season in 2003 went more or less as he expected, with 10 points and 13th place overall. He had hoped this year would be a step up after learning the ropes.

"Actually we went backwards - compared to last year as performance goes," he said. "This year I have been more frustrated because I expected to improve year after year and it didn't happen like that."

His best finish this year, at Monaco, was a double-edged sword. He believes a miscommunication about a warning flag, resulting in a drive-through penalty, cost him fourth place.

It took him two or three hours after the race to enjoy his sixth place. "You accept it but it was not the way it should have been," he said.