Wilson Promised Minardi Seat for 2004

Briton Justin Wilson was handed a pre-British Grand Prix boost by his Minardi boss Paul Stoddart when he was promised a guaranteed place on the Grand Prix grid next year.

Wilson has shown good pace in his debut season after stumping up £1.2 million (Pounds) for the chance to drive for the back of the grid Minardi team and Stoddart revealed he has done enough to stay.

"Justin has done enough to guarantee to be in Formula One next year," said Stoddart. "I hold his contract and I will definitely have him next year if we have not moved him on to another team."

Stoddart runs the tightest ship in Formula One with a £30 million (Pounds) budget that is barely enough to get his cars to races and provides little funding for development during the season. Although the Australian is keen to keep the 24-year-old, he would also happily sell his option in Wilson to a rival for next season if he is offered the right price.

Wilson, who raised £1.2 million (Pounds) through a share scheme that will see him paying out his salary to investors for the next five years, has been tipped to be on his way to Jaguar as a replacement for Brazilian Antonio Pizzonia.

His height, a massive six foot three inches, could represent a stumbling block in his future, but the Jaguar team's lead driver, Australian Mark Webber, is just a couple of inches shorter and their car could easily be designed to fit the Briton.

Stoddart, however, admitted that despite discussions with several team principals over Wilson's future he is yet to receive a solid offer for the former Formula 3000 champion.

Wilson's manager, former Formula One driver Jonathan Palmer, admitted he is not yet pushing hard to resolve Wilson's future and said: "We are just focussing on what we are doing this year.

"I do not know what he is going to do. Justin is a commodity and Minardi have control. Any team, be it McLaren, Williams or Minardi, if they have an option on a driver they can trade amongst team principals."

Wilson has not scored a point in his first 10 Grands Prix and has retired six times, once almost going to hospital through heat exhaustion in Malaysia. He scored a best finish of 11th in the Spanish Grand Prix in May.

He has, however, developed a reputation as a strong starter and Stoddart believes he is sure to eventually follow in the footsteps of former Minardi drivers Webber and Fernando Alonso, now at Renault, and go on to bigger things.