Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Wilson Expecting Jaguar Decision in One Month

Justin Wilson expects to hear within one month of this weekend's season-ending Japanese Grand Prix whether he will continue to partner Australian Mark Webber at Jaguar in 2004.

Justin Wilson expects to hear within one month of this weekend's season-ending Japanese Grand Prix whether he will continue to partner Australian Mark Webber at Jaguar in 2004.

Wilson gambled on a mid-season move to Jaguar from Minardi and although he is yet to regularly match Webber for pace he believes the move could have helped secure his Formula One future.

"I don't think they will take too long to decide," he said. "I get the impression it will be within a month so it is not going to be well into next year. I have just got to wait and see.

"My contract is just like any other. They have an option and if they want me they can just sign me up and it is already there and done and dusted and I just get on with the job.

"It has been very difficult (switching teams). The transition is harder than I had expected but you have to take the option. It is a gamble but you can't always play it safe.

"The different driving style between the cars has been harder than I thought and that has taken longer than I would have liked to get used to. But you have just got to be patient and keep working on it.

"It is all about trying to adapt to this car and make the most of it because it is obviously very quick. But I cannot force the issue. It has just got to come naturally and that takes time.

"Minardi were fantastic and I think I could have done very well staying there and it is possibly a more secure route but you don't know, you are not sure what is going to happen at the end of the season.

"I could have got some good results there but not had anything for the year after, it could work the other way around. At the time Jaguar was the better option and I think it was the right move."

Wilson beat Webber to the Formula 3000 title in 2001 and replaced the Australian at Minardi at the start of this year after setting up a shares scheme to raise the money to pay for the drive.

He switched to Jaguar at the German Grand Prix and retired from his first three races with the team but scored his first points when he finally reached the end of a Grand Prix at the last race in the United States.

Webber has been the sensation of the season and has scored 17 of Jaguar's 18 points including three sixth-place finishes in the European, French and Hungarian Grands Prix.

His performances left Wilson with a difficult task when he arrived at Jaguar and he admitted that he was disappointed not to have matched his former rival's pace regularly during the first four races.

"I expected to be closer to him sooner," he said. "But Mark is doing a great job at the moment, he is very quick and his qualifying is quite impressive. I think I am up against one of the best drivers in Formula One.

"But I have not always looked for the easy option, the guaranteed route, the championships I have won I have always won against the best drivers at the best levels.

"Here, I am just looking to enjoy the last race of the season. If you just forget about everything then you perform better and that is what I am going to try and do here. You can only go out and do your best."

Wilson would not reveal whether he had had discussions with other teams for a race seat in 2004 and said he is not thinking about his future until the season is over.

"I personally haven't thought about it too much, that is for my manager Jonathan to worry about," said Wilson. "He is dealing with all of that. I just want to get to the end of the season then look at the options."

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Friday test: McNish bows out on a high
Next article Friday Free Practice - Japanese GP

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe