Formula One news

I was a scapegoat - da Matta

Departed, Cristiano da Matta is showing he's not afraid to aim fire at Formula One and Toyota. Last time, the little Brazilian - back in Champ Car - slammed Michael Schumacher and the Paddock's fabled politicking.

Now, the 31-year-old's lining up Cologne-based Toyota, who gave him the boot mid last year. ''They needed a scapegoat,'' he told Associated Press, ''and I was it.''

Toyota, only now starting to reap the benefit of a more than billion-dollar investment in F1, boast pitlane's biggest ever budget. Da Matta said: ''There was tremendous pressure on them.

''It would have bothered me more ... if I knew the problem was me. But nobody else did better with that car.''

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