On this episode of Racers Unchained, Paul Tracy sits down with former IndyCar and Formula One star Cristiano da Matta for an honest and emotional conversations in series history.
Cristiano opens up about the terrifying deer-on-track accident that nearly took his life, what he remembers from that moment, and the long road that followed. The two old friends reunite after almost 20 years and dive into:
- Cristiano’s memories from the deer incident
- The feeling of winning again after years away
- Growing up in Brazil with a legendary racing-champion father
- His late start in karting at 16
- The rapid rise through Formula Ford, F3, Indy Lights, and Champ Car
- Joining Newman/Haas and the dominant 2002 season
- The evolution of IndyCar—from high-freedom development to today’s spec era
- How racing shaped both their lives on and off the track
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