Wilson signs for RuSPORT
Former Formula 1 driver Justin Wilson will stay in the Champ Car World Series in 2005 after signing for the RuSPORT team alongside series rookie of the year AJ Allmendinger. Wilson will take the place of Michel Jourdian Jr, who has not been retained

Wilson switched codes from F1 to Champ Cars at the end of 2003, when he drove for Jaguar and Minardi, and signed to race for the under-funded Conquest team. But the British driver did enough to attract the attention of RuSPORT, run by CCWS co-owner Carl Russo, with a couple of fourth place finishes including one at the series finale in Mexico earlier this month.
"I'm obviously very excited to be joining RuSPORT," said Wilson. "The atmosphere within the team is great and there is such a high level of drive and professionalism. It's like an F1 team!
"I think it's the best place to be to win races and championships. I'm also really looking forward to having AJ as a team-mate because we see things similarly. We get on well even though every weekend we were battling head to head."
Wilson missed out on the Champ Car Rookie of the Year title to the 22-year-old Allmendinger after a season-long fight with the American who stays with RuSPORT for a second season.
"After having a strong first year, I'm even more excited to get in the car and build on what we as a team have accomplished this year," said Allmendinger. "I'm truly living my dream and I know winning pole positions and races is right around the corner. We came into this year knowing we had a lot to learn; now I'm confident we can contend for the championship."
Carl Russo saw both his drivers mount the podium this season, but his team, which graduated to Champ Cars in 2004, has yet to score a win. "I am proud of what we accomplished in 2004 but I know that I speak for all of RuSPORT when I say we are eager get to the front," he said.
Latest news
Double F1 race winner Jean Pierre Jabouille has died
Former French Formula 1 driver Jean-Pierre Jabouille has died on Thursday at age 80, French media have reported.
IMSA champion Jarvis to contest full ELMS season with United Autosports
Reigning IMSA Sportscar Championship title-winner Oliver Jarvis will contest the European Le Mans Series with United Autosports alongside Formula 2 convert Marino Sato, in addition to the World Endurance Championship.
20 years on: Porsche’s 911 GT Daytona 24 Hours giant-killing relived
IMSA’s new GTP class for LMDh cars had a more auspicious debut last weekend than the Daytona Prototypes that arrived in 2003. Back then, they were humbled by a GT Porsche 911, which won the Floridian sportscar classic by nine laps.
Entries open for the 2023 Williams Autosport Engineer of the Future Award story
Entries have opened for the 2023 Williams Autosport Engineer of the Future Award, with budding motorsport engineers invited to apply for the revamped prize.
The 2022 Autosport Awards winner using Esports as a launchpad
A trail blazed in Esports has inspired a revamp of the annual prize that aims to discover the best young engineering talent. Autosport met Autosport Williams Engineer of the Future winner Michael Preston
The plug in and play stand-ins who got their timing just right
Nyck de Vries’s Italian GP exploits weren’t the first post-eleventh-hour call-up in motorsport history, and won’t be the last either. Here are some offbeat tales from the past
Porsche’s hopeful Le Mans future meets its illustrious past
Rising sportscar star Adam Smalley had to pinch himself when offered the chance to drive the car that won the world’s most famous enduro in 1987
Why romanticism isn't the key factor in Lola’s racing return
The iconic Lola name is being relaunched after it was taken over by new ownership. Part of that reboot is a planned return to racing, though the exact details of this are still to be finalised - though its new owner does have a desire to bring the brand back to the Le Mans 24 Hours. But romanticism doesn't appear to be the driving force behind this renewed project...
Rating the best drivers of the century so far
Autosport's Top 50 feature has been a staple of the magazine for the past two decades since its first appearance in 2002. Here are the drivers that have featured most prevalently during that time
The best motorsport moments of 2021
Motorsport produced one of its greatest years of all-time in 2021 despite a backdrop of ongoing COVID-19 challenges and an ever-changing racing landscape. Through the non-stop action Autosport has collected the finest moments from the past 12 months to highlight the incredible drama and joy motorsport generates
The racing comeback artists who resurrected long-dormant careers
Making it in motorsport can be tough, and sometimes drivers move elsewhere before their best chance arrives. Here are some of those who made it back
The hidden racing gem attracting ex-F1 heroes
It’s rarely mentioned when it comes to assessing the best national contests, but the Brazilian Stock Car series that reaches its climax this weekend has an ever-growing appeal. Its expanding roster of ex-Formula 1 names has helped to draw in new fans, but it's the closeness of competition that keeps them watching
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.