Wilson aiming to pick up points

New F1 driver Justin Wilson is hoping Minardi will be more competitive this season and thinks the new points system will help. The team may have only scored two points in 2002 from Mark Webber's amazing, albeit circumstantial, fifth place in Australia, but with the top eight finishers now scoring points, Wilson believes Minardi is in with a chance.

"Well, it's going to make a difference isn't it?" He told F1 Racing when asked about the new scoring system. "But, from what we saw last year, Minardi finished in the top eight several times and they would have scored points for those races."

"It'll be a case of chipping away and picking up some of those finishes again this year. The Cosworth (engine) was reliable and powerful last year, which is bound to help us be a lot more competitive."

Wilson's much talked about height of six foot three was a major consideration for Minardi but boss Paul Stoddart was determined to make the effort to give the British driver a chance. After the first seat fitting Wilson almost lost hope of getting a drive but Minardi worked the problems out.

"They've moved the pedals and the bulkhead," Wilson explained. "So as to give me a bit more space without reducing the car's performance. It's a bit more than a simple sandpaper job but not a complete redesign. The team realised what they'd have to do if they were going to give me the drive - but they reckon I was worth the extra work, which is nice for me!"

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments