Where will Wilson get a drive?

pink69 · 16 Oct 2001, 09:46 (Ref:161325)

Justin Wilson has set his hopes on getting a CART drive for next season. Which team do you think he is most likely to sign for?

enemy-ace · 16 Oct 2001, 10:57 (Ref:161365)

Of the top teams, I think only Ganassi and Rahal still have open seats. I think Rahal will be looking to sign some homegrown talent, while Ganassi is reported to be pursuing Tony Kannan. After Bruno Junquera's less than stellar year, I don't think the F3000's champions stock is very high at the moment. Ganassi got a real prize in Montoya, which couldn't be re-created in Junquera; and Wilson, while good, isn't talented enough to take CART by storm.

mac · 17 Oct 2001, 03:25 (Ref:161784)

I'd love to see Justin get a drive, but I just can't see it happening. He doesn't have a whole heap of money, and engine deals don't mean much in CART at the moment.

marcus · 17 Oct 2001, 06:55 (Ref:161814)

Whats wrong with the team he is with now?

are they pulling out ?

he has shown some glimpses of brilliance this year and I hope he can stay on for a second year to capitalize on what he has learnt this year.

f1manoz · 17 Oct 2001, 08:59 (Ref:161842)

IMO opinion Wilson won't get a drive in CART. Too few seats left and the seats that are available aren't exactly competitive.

Wilson would be better off staying in Europe, perhaps as a tester. Jordan are rumoured to be entertaining his services doing that, but Wilson being a true racer, he wants to go racing next year, not trundling round empty circuits all year.

Laagri · 17 Oct 2001, 09:35 (Ref:161858)

Marcus - the Wilson being referred to here is Justin Wilson, International F3000 champion 2001, not Max Wilson, driver of car #25 in the CART series.

I like Justin and I'd like to see him do well, mainly because he's almost as tall as I am. But I don't see it happening. Then again, he is the sort of consistent driver who might do well in CART. But I think his best chance might be to try and get the Jordan test drive and hope that Takuma Sato is a complete flop. Or maybe Prost will realise that Justin has been better than Tomas Enge for most of the year and offer him a drive there alongside Enge.

(Sorry for the mostly F1 comments.)

BootsOntheSide · 17 Oct 2001, 11:32 (Ref:161901)

It'd be too bad if Justin's hopes are destroyed by his height (I'm not tall myself, far from it, in fact I'm nearly a foot shorter than Justin) because on talent alone he would ahve deserved the Jordan F1 drive more than Sato. But he's not Japanese, if he was he'd've got the drive. As for CART, Ganassi and Rahal are unlikely to be available options, so that leaves a second Sigma, possibly Mo Nunn, a second Walker as an outside chance if they get the sponsorship, a second Dale Coyne is unlikely but possible, Herdez Bettenhausen may have a seat but the driver would probably be South American (so MAX Wilson would do), and Patrick as a real long shot but that'll probably be Ropberto Moreno and Townsend Bell. So its getting a bit crowded. If sponsorship could be found (Would Coca-Cola continue to sponsor him personally after their support of the Nordic F3000 team he raced for?) Maybe he could run a 3rd satellite car with a current team a la Team motorola.

Laagri · 17 Oct 2001, 12:20 (Ref:161924)

Coca-Cola are unfortunately not Justin's personal sponsors. The Eastern European division of Coca-Cola has been sponsoring the Nordic F3000 team this year and that is, I believe, the main reason that Tomas Enge got the second seat. Now that Enge's got to F1, it obviously makes much more sense for CC Eastern Europe to continue supporting a Czech who is in F1 rather than a Brit who might get a ChampCar drive. I'm sure all the middle and lower grid F1 teams are already after Enge for next year, just to get their hands on the Coca-Cola money. And even though (I think) there weren't any Coca-Cola stickers on the Prost car when Enge was driving it, there were some on his helmet.
So how about a Coca-Cola Prost Acer F1 team with Enge and Wilson driving? Or Coca-Cola could take over the naming rights for the engine too, making it the Coca-Cola Prost Bon Aqua, or even the Coca-Cola Prost Minute Maid!!!

(Hmmm, sorry again!)

Greg Murray · 17 Oct 2001, 16:15 (Ref:162052)

There is a drive and my sources say either Dale Coyne Racing or belive it or not the set-up team of Mark Blundell who is keen on British drivers so I think Justin Wilson & Johny Herbet will drive.
You jeard it first hear!.

Greg Murray · 17 Oct 2001, 16:18 (Ref:162054)

(I mean HEARD not jeard!!!).

marcus · 17 Oct 2001, 20:30 (Ref:162222)

OOOPPPSSS...Sorry ...I should really read things a little more carefully before i post.

just read Wilson and assumed it was Max as we are in the Indy forum.

as for Justin ...no idea havent seen him race at all but he must be good because he won the F3000 title this year ..hope he can land a decent ride somewhere

BootsOntheSide · 18 Oct 2001, 19:36 (Ref:162605)

Funny how Marcus was saying how Max Wilson alreadyhas a secure drive, 2 days before he got fired.

marcus · 19 Oct 2001, 01:45 (Ref:162718)

to quote a famous man
"anything can happen in motorsport and usually does "

finger on the pulse ...i think not

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