Davidson: Wilson's Minardi Drive a Waste of Money

British American Racing test driver Anthony Davidson has branded Minardi's latest recruit Justin Wilson "crazy" for paying for his 2003 drive - and said he would rather gamble his millions in Las Vegas.

Davidson stood in for failing Malaysian Alex Yoong at the Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix last year but chose not to search for the estimated £2 million needed to secure a full-time drive this season. Wilson has developed a "double your money" share scheme to raise the cash but despite significant interest he has so far failed to secure enough takers - and his father could be forced to sell his petrol station business to keep the drive.

"If there is one person I feel sorry for it is Justin's old man," said Davidson. "It is just not worth putting that much money into your son's career - why not spend it on gambling? I am sure you would make much more money. I could have done that, but it was not worth it. I would have gone to Vegas with my old man and bet it all. It would have been a lot more fun than driving around the back of the grid in a slow car."

Minardi, who finished ninth in the Championship last year with just one point finish, are historical backmarkers but the team are a proving ground for young drivers in recent years. Spaniard Fernando Alonso raced with the outfit two years ago and has now secured a drive at Renault for this season as a replacement for BAR-bound Briton Jenson Button.

Australian Mark Webber, who scored the team's two points in the opening race of the season last year, will graduate to Jaguar this season. Team boss Paul Stoddart rates Wilson so highly that he has made the team re-design their car this year to fit in the Briton's 6'3 frame - but Davidson believes his lanky countryman will fail to convince other teams to do the same.

"Even if he goes really well no other team will have him drive for them because they are not going to make their car to suit him," said Davidson. "They will just find someone who is a tenth of a second slower and make a car that is three quarters of a second faster because it is smaller and lighter.

"It is a crazy thing to do. Yeah, live the dream, but at the expense of your dad's business? It's my dream too, but you have got to pinch yourself and get realistic. It's not all a silver lining. Lots of people get blinkered by Formula One - and this is a classic example of wasting money. He is bringing funds to a team that is struggling and all he will get out of it is a season in Formula One."

Former Formula 3000 champion Wilson has had his drive guaranteed by father Keith and manager Jonathan Palmer, a former driver, who are prepared to carry the cost if the ingenious share scheme fails. The pair have already put aside £1 million but are hoping to cover the other half of the cost by getting businessmen and fans to invest in Wilson's future and promising to double their money.

Wilson's eight-year rise up the motorsport ladder - including three years in the £400,000-a-year F3000 championship - has so far cost an estimated £2 million.