Wilson's Dad Looking at Bailing Out F1 Dream

Briton Justin Wilson's father could be forced to sell his petrol station business to allow his son to continue his Formula One dream after the former Formula 3000 champion promised £2 million for his Minardi race seat.

Wilson developed an ingenious share scheme to cover half of the cost by getting businessmen to invest in his future and promising to double their money but, despite significant interest in the scheme, not one person has yet signed up.

Wilson's dad Keith is prepared to sell to foot the bill, and said: "I have backed him all the way and I have always said I would sell the garage if I had to and if Justin deserved it.

"It is not something I want to do and it is most definitely a last resort - but I am prepared to do whatever is necessary. We are a long way from that at the moment because we are in the middle of sorting out the share scheme and we have a lot of interest."

The petrol station - located just East of Wilson's hometown of Sheffield - has an estimated value of £1 million. His father bought it in 1974 - four years before his racer son was born and has developed it into a lucrative business.

He also runs a solvents company - Solvents for Safety - which he set up just before Wilson started karting. That business has grown to a current turn-over of £7 million and Wilson senior has used it to back his son all the way to Formula One.

Wilson's eight-year rise up the motorsport ladder - including three years in the £400,000-a-year F3000 championship - has so far cost £2 million. But, although his Minardi drive is secure, Wilson now needs to raise that much again to continue his dream in Formula One - or the petrol station could be gone.

Wilson's father and his manager, former Formula One driver Jonathan Palmer, have underwritten the £2 million for the Minardi drive. They had expected to cover the cost through the share scheme, but Wilson admitted that definite backing has been slow to materialise.

"Officially nobody is on board yet," he revealed. "It is not really set up yet, but we have got a lot of people interested. There are people with £100,000, people with £25,000 and we have had lots of interest over the internet from fans wanting to put in £100.

"We are confident we will raise the money - but if we don't get the investors we still have ways of paying for the drive."

Palmer originated the idea of a share scheme when he needed to pay for a drive in Formula One in the 1980s and sponsors failed to come forward. Wilson admitted that, like Palmer, British financial backing for his career has been dismal - and insisted sponsorship is no longer the way to get into Formula One.

"We have had a couple of sponsors during my career but nothing significant and it is impossible to raise the funds you need," he said. "There was a time when we thought we just could not carry on because we needed £300,000 to go racing. Dad said about selling the petrol station then. Now, if the worst came to the worst he would do it."

Wilson's father had the garage valued three years ago when he seriously considered selling it to continue his son's motorsport career and has looked into it again recently. Wilson has promised cash-strapped Minardi team boss Paul Stoddart that, whatever happens, he will get his money, and added: "My Dad is prepared to go a long way and he has always said he will do whatever it takes."