Q & A with Matthew Wilson

Matthew Wilson: It's been good. I'm seventh in the championship on 15 points, which is the same as what I got in the whole of the 2008 season. I've only finished out of the points on one round - Portugal, where I went off the road. To have equalled my points haul for last year in only six rallies is really encouraging.

Q. What about the rest of the year?

MW: I'm really looking forward to the second half of the season. I would be absolutely delighted to get on the podium and I think it is a real possibility if I keep driving the way I am and keep on getting the car to the end. My aim is to keep on lowering my times, keep on putting in quick sector times on each stage and then hopefully it will come to me.

Q. What do you think of Ford's challenge for the title?

MW: In terms of the manufacturer's title, the race is really on now. We needed that win in Sardinia to kick start our season and hopefully from now on you will be seeing a lot more blue ovals at the top of the leader board in WRC. The confidence has grown with Jari-Matti's win. If we can continue to push hard in the next two or three rounds and keep on getting points finishes then we will be in for a very good shout.

Q. How difficult is it for a young British driver to follow in your footsteps?

MW: There is no doubt that one of the most difficult things for up and coming talent in rally is finding the funding to compete. But, there are some great young talents out there. Encouragingly, there are several very good initiatives for young drivers to help encourage them and accelerate their advancement. The MSA British Rally Elite scheme is really good and with the launch of the Academy now as well they are really helping to encourage young talent to flourish. They certainly helped me when I was coming through the ranks.

Q. What's the outlook for up-and-coming British drivers then?

MW: It's promising and the more I can do to help build the sport and for people to follow me in the WRC the better. The launch of the new Fiesta R2's looks set to help encourage grass-roots participation in the sport. I've driven that car and it's absolutely fantastic!

Q. And what's the future for you?

MW: My aim is to be pushing at the top end of the sport for the next 10 years at least. More immediately, the Acropolis is up next and a bit of testing before that.