Wilson granted rest of season to shine
British rookie Justin Wilson has until the end of the 2003 Formula 1 World Championship season to prove himself, as the Milton Keynes-based team admits it has not yet been able to give him the chance to demonstrate his full potential
Wilson took over from Antonio Pizzonia in August's German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, but has not yet finished a race for the team.
"Justin is doing a good job for us and we have another three races left with him before we need to make a decision for 2004," said Jaguar Racing's managing director David Pitchforth. "That said, we need to give him a trouble-free race package for a weekend - something we haven't done given his retirements from the German and Hungarian grands prix. Only then can Justin demonstrate his true potential.
"It is a buyers' market right now and we are under no pressure to announce Mark's team-mate for next season. It is important to note that, unlike other teams, we changed our driver line-up mid-season and we need to give Justin a fair opportunity to demonstrate himself prior to any decisions being taken."
Although the team has admitted that it is considering a paying driver in its second seat next year, it has not ruled out opting for talent over cash.
Pitchforth added: "On choosing a team-mate for Mark, we have many variables to consider and as we have said recently, drivers bringing finance is just one of several. It is a complex equation that involves looking at experience, the extent to which someone is a team player, adaptability to our growing company and suitability to the challenge that lies ahead of us amongst many other factors.
"Justin was made aware of this right from day one and both sides are clear and comfortable with the matter. Right now, however, we are all clearly focused on going to Monza and being competitive against our immediate competition."
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