Justin Wilson in 2003
Justin Wilson in 2003Qualifying - 10th
"A top ten position is pleasing although I could have done better. My sector two and three times were good but I ran a little wide through turn one which cost me some time. The balance and the handling of the car are quite good and I have been chipping away all weekend to the extent that my times have been getting better. The weather conditions tomorrow will no doubt play a big part in the race but the team's preparation over the past few days has been very impressive. Between us, Mark and I have done over 1300kms of trouble-free running in the Jaguar R4 and as long as we remain reliable tomorrow, we should be in with a shout."
Race - 13th
"A difficult race and one which didn't go our way today but we gave it everything under the circumstances. The team did an excellent job all weekend but the outright pace wasn't there. The grip levels were not what we expected and the opposition took full advantage. After my third pit-stop, I suffered from an engine problem but given how far from the points I was, it didn't really make a big impact on my race."
Qualifying - 16th
"The track conditions had obviously changed since this morning and no sooner had I entered the in-field section than I began experiencing understeer. The car was quite twitchy in some of the corners and there was little I could do except my best. Tomorrow's race will be tough for us but there is never such a thing as an easy race anyway! It is a shame to be starting so far back at a circuit which we know we could have done a better job at today and given that I haven't yet finished a race distance for Jaguar yet, seeing the chequered flag will mean a lot to me tomorrow."
Race - 8th
"That was by no means an easy race and I was more than happy to see the chequered flag. The start of the race was fairly clean but as the conditions kept changing it became increasingly difficult to achieve good long runs. The team did a great job today to support me and a combination of our race strategy and well-oiled pit stops certainly helped me secure eighth place. I am of course very pleased to have achieved my first Championship point here at Ford's home race and at this time in the calendar. It has been a tough few months for me but I knew that my luck would change at some point."
Qualifying - 15th
"After what was a frustrating day yesterday, today has been much better. The track is certainly better without the strong winds that were evident yesterday and I am pleased with my lap given the strategy I am on for tomorrow's race. There was quite a bit of grip out there today but I was being careful not to overdo the lap. There is obviously more time in the car but it is very important that I generate the required experience with the team and discover fully the limits of the car. Unlike other circuits where overtaking is tough, the starting position here at Monza is not the be all and end all. Overtaking opportunities are plentiful and given that I have yet to finish a race with Jaguar, my aim is to make it to the end of 51-laps tomorrow."
Race - Retired
"During the formation lap, I experienced a problem in engaging first gear. With no time available to address the problem, I had no choice but to start the race in second gear. As we have long gears for Monza, I didn’t even make it off the line when the red lights went out. I’m very disappointed not to have finished my third consecutive race for Jaguar and with only two races left now, I am naturally hoping to see a race distance. The team have worked incredibly hard all weekend and to have a suffered a retirement before the first lap is extremely unfortunate for all concerned. We are, however, one point behind BAR and we’ll simply have to pick ourselves up and hope for improved reliability at the U.S. Grand Prix in two weeks time."
Qualifying - 12th
“My lap was okay although I know there was more to come
from the car. I wasn’t happy with the overall balance this morning and
while the changes we made just before qualifying certainly helped I had hoped
to be slightly higher. That said, it’s my best performance on a Saturday
and potentially presents me with my best opportunity to score some points courtesy
of a sixth row start. Provided there isn’t a repeat of the start at Hockenheim
and I can get through the first corner and run to the flag then I definitely
think it’s a great chance to score. As an important aside, another 70
laps behind the wheel will be more than welcome as I look to further my knowledge
of the car and continue to work with the team, further developing our relationship!”
Race - Retired
“Another disappointing end to what began as a good race. I started from the dirty side of the track and didn’t have a very easy start as everyone charged into the tight first hairpin. The rhythm and pace of the Jaguar was good and the balance was getting the best out of the Michelin tyres. My first two pit stops went according to plan but on lap 44, I lost power and had no choice but to retire. A big shame but the three-day Monza test will prepare me better for the next race – a race that I hope to finish this time and help the team in their points battle with BAR-Honda and Toyota.”
Brit-F1 Star Rating 
(5 star max)
Qualifying - 16th
"Like Mark, I just pushed way too hard towards the end of the lap to give my lap time a push. I lost a fair bit of time in the last sector but that's where my inexperience with Jaguar and Michelin comes in. While I am not making any excuses, the fact is that I have never driven the car in anger until this weekend and consequently my knowledge of the Michelin tyre performance is limited given that I have come from a Bridgestone team in Minardi. Understanding what the car and tyres are capable of will take a bit of time but in the meantime, I am very pleased with the way things are going at Jaguar. The car is great to drive and I am certainly looking forward to going racing with it tomorrow."
Race - Retired
"I am very disappointed indeed. The charge towards the first corner was very strange in that I came into the corner and literally everyone in front of me braked early because of the accident. I then saw Villeneuve cutting in front of me and he hit my front left. As I took corrective action to avoid him, the Jordan of Ralph Firman hit me from behind. The team did an amazing job of fixing the car and getting me back out but a transmission issue forced my retirement. It's been quite a weekend for me and all in all, I walk away having learned an awful lot, albeit with so much more to learn. The car, team and everyone involved are great to work with and I can only hope for better joy at the next round in Hungary."
Brit-F1 Star Rating
(5 star max)
Qualifying - 18th
"We made some useful progress this morning, and I gained
confidence with the car throughout the two sessions. For the warm-up, I wasn’t
quite happy with the car, so we made a small change and it was spot-on for qualifying.
The lap itself I felt was neat and tidy, and I’d like to thank the guys
for all their hard work. Okay, we’re not at the front of the grid, but
I’m happy with the way it’s gone so far this weekend."
Race - 16th
"It was quite a tough race, and although it was a shame we weren’t close enough to battle with any of the other drivers at the start, it was nice to pass one or two people. Unfortunately, the auto upshift failed to work coming out of Club, and Firman was able to get by. Also on that opening lap, Jos drifted wide at one point and hit my front wing. The damage meant the car understeered until the guys were able to change the nose at the first pit stop. After that, I just pushed as hard as I could with the aim of getting the car to the finish. The other thing that was really noticeable out there today was how windy it was – there were about 10 large flags I could see around the circuit, and they were all blowing in different directions every lap. It meant the car would suddenly lose downforce when you weren’t expecting it, which was a bit disconcerting. Despite the problems, though, it was nice to finish ahead of a Sauber today."
STOP PRESS - Justin will be very pleased that he will be driving for Jaguar for the remainder of the season, replacing Antonio Pizzonia.
Quote - "This is fantastic news and a simply brilliant opportunity for me. Jaguar have been really impressive this year and made a big step forward over the winter. As Mark Webber has proven, this is a team that can score world championship points and I'm determined to do just that. I can't wait to get in the car at Hockenheim. Of course it's not going to be easy jumping straight in but I'm absolutely determined to reward the team's confidence in me. Jaguar has such a fantastic motorsport heritage and I'm just so very proud to have this opportunity to join the team."
Brit-F1 Star Rating
(5 star max)
Qualifying - 20th
"It was a bit hectic just before qualifying, when I had to
jump into the T-car, which was set up for Jos. The important thing, though,
was that we got a lap in, as yesterday’s didn’t count. I was told
not to be too concerned with the lap time and just ensure that we qualified
for tomorrow’s race, which is what I did. Now we’ll see what happens
tomorrow."
Race - 14th
"I knew with the fuel strategy we had today that I just had to push hard for the whole race and keep going – Jos was on a three-stopper and it was going to be close whether that or the two-stop approach we had chosen was going to be better. The guys did a good job with the pit stops and that really helped. I thought there was an intermittent problem with the transmission in the first part of the race, as the car was losing speed quite badly on the straights, which is how Ralph Firman passed me. I eventually re-passed him, and although the problem had me concerned for a while, it cleared up and the car was fine for the rest of the race. Anyway, it’s another Grand Prix finish, which is really good."
Brit-F1 Star Rating
(5 star max)
Qualifying - 19th
"I’m fairly pleased with today’s performance.
I lost out a bit to Jos in the first sector of the lap, but we are running different
wing levels. Overall, I’ve been able to push Jos a bit today, so I’m
pleased with that. The car is well enough balanced now, but we are just lacking
grip here. I’m happy with our strategy for tomorrow and we’ll see
how things go in the race."
Race - 13th
"It was quite an interesting first stint from my standpoint, as I had a good battle with Jos and Jacques Villeneuve. Jos was able to drive down the inside of him at Turn 1, but I couldn’t quite make it and had to tuck back in before the next corner. I then went a bit wide at the corner and couldn’t shut the door, which allowed Heidfeld to get through. I was able to close on Jos, though, who was clearly struggling with his car, before Jacques had a big spin, which allowed both of us to get by him again. I eventually caught Jos, passed him and was able to get away. During the first stint, the car was sliding really badly, but after the first pit stop, the tyres seemed a little better in terms of grip. I just concentrated on driving smoothly and keeping the car on the track. The pit stops today were spot on – the guys did a good job this afternoon, and I’d like to thank them for that. In the end, it was nice to get the car home again."
Brit-F1 Star Rating
(5
star max)
Qualifying - 18th
"It was a pretty clean lap. I had a bit of moment halfway
round when the car hit a damp patch, but I was generally happy with my qualifying
run this afternoon. The two hours of testing on Friday, which took place in
dry conditions, may have helped us today, as I certainly know the circuit better
than I otherwise would have. It gives you the confidence to push just that little
bit harder."
Race - Retired
"The car was fantastic today – I could do what I wanted with it and position it where I wanted it on the track. Everything was going to plan, the car hadn’t missed a beat all afternoon, and then, just a few laps from the end of the race, I heard a bang as I was coming down the back straight and lost all drive. I was able to coast into the pits, but there was nothing that could be done. It’s such a shame, because I think we could have had two strong finishes for Minardi here in Canada. It’s good for the team, however, that Jos got a top-10 finish."
Brit-F1 Star Rating
(5
star max)
Qualifying - 19th
"It was quite a frustrating lap! The oversteer problem only
developed in qualifying; I had no such issues in either of this morning’s
practice sessions. In the end of the day though tomorrow’s what it’s
all about and we just need to get our heads down, work on a good strategy for
the race and all being well put another race distance under our belt."
Race - Retired
"I had a good start, very similar to Jos, but then Frentzen squeezed me at the first corner and I had to back off. I then managed to get around Panis at the hairpin and found myself behind Jos again. I was running consistently in that position. Unfortunately, I locked up under braking after the tunnel, slid wide, hit the curb hard and the engine went briefly into anti-stall mode. That allowed the gap to open up a bit to the cars in front, which, in turn, allowed the ‘two- stop' drivers who were exiting the pits after the first of their stops to get in front of me. I think a one-stop strategy was definitely the right one for this race, and it's a great shame for the whole team to have lost both its cars in such a short period of time today"
Brit-F1 Star Rating
(5 star max)
Qualifying - 18th
"It’s very disappointing. I seemed to pick up a chassis imbalance, which caused a problem in qualifying. The weekend started really well, but we seem to have had difficulties in the afternoons, so perhaps they are track or temperature-related. We’ll now just have to concentrate on the race and working out a good strategy for tomorrow."
Race - 13th
"I made a launch-control start, which worked well, and then pushed hard every lap. We were scheduled to make two stops for fuel and tyres today, but when the opportunity presented itself to make a very early pit stop, we took it, as that gave us the possibility to reduce the number of laps between the other two stops. It got a bit slippery when it started to rain, but it wasn’t a problem to stay out on dry tyres. The car was reasonably well balanced today, and in fact seemed to get better as the race went on. It was definitely a good feeling to see the chequered flag for the second Grand Prix in a row."
Brit-F1 Star Rating (5
star max)
Qualifying - 18th
“I was quite fired up for that one after yesterday. It was a pretty clean lap, although I did catch the edge of the curb at Turn 6 in the middle sector, which cost me a little bit. I think we were close to extracting the most we could from the car, and generally, I wasn’t unhappy with the run. The main goal now is to get the best start possible in the race tomorrow and then get to the finish.”
Race - 11th
“It was a fairly interesting race, especially in the first couple of laps. Pizzonia’s car stalled at the start, and as he was in front of me, I had to jink out to avoid hitting him. That slowed me in the run down to the first corner and allowed Jos to get by, but then I found a great line through the carnage and managed to overtake a Jordan on the inside and a Sauber on the outside in two consecutive corners, which put me up to ninth place. After that, it was just a case of hanging on. I’d particularly like to thank the team for the opportunity to have a good race today and for the hard work they have put in all weekend, particularly when we had a problem before the start of the race. It has taken five races to complete my first Grand Prix finish, but it still feels great.”
Brit-F1 Star Rating
(5 star max)
Qualifying - 18th
“That was not an easy run - the track was very slippery with the spots of rain that fell just before qualifying started. A couple of times I had big slides, but managed to keep the car on the track. The lap could have been better in a couple of places, but that is always the case. Generally, I was quite happy with the way it went, and we’ll now see what the race brings us tomorrow.”
Race - Retired
"We elected to take on fuel at the end of the formation lap and start from the pit lane, slotting in behind Ralph Firman and Jos. After four or five laps, the car started to slide around quite a bit, so I decided to maintain the best pace I could and just hang on to the pit stop. When I did come in for tyres and fuel, the stop seemed to last longer than normal. I didn’t realise there was a problem until they called me back to the pits on the next lap and told me that the fuel hadn’t been delivered. Up until that point, the car had been running fine. It’s fair to say that it’s been a disappointing day."
Brit-F1 Star Rating
(5 star max)
Qualifying - 20th
“I was quite pleased with this afternoon’s qualifying run. There were no problems and I drove a pretty clean lap. The time is certainly acceptable for the fuel load we were carrying. All told, we’ve had a productive day technically, and I’m looking forward to a good race tomorrow.”
Race - Retired
"I’m gutted. I was just caught out by the rivers running down the grass and across the track in Turn 3. They never seemed to be in the same place on two consecutive laps. On the lap I spun, I had got through the first river, but then aquaplaned off on the second one. It’s a huge disappointment, because we were definitely on for a strong finish today."
Brit-F1 Star Rating
(5 star max)
Qualifying - 19th
“We improved the car as the day progressed, and although the time this afternoon isn’t quite what we had hoped for, I’m not too disappointed, all things considered. It’s also nice personally to have completed my first Formula One qualifying session. Now we’ll just have to wait and see what happens in the race tomorrow.”
Race - Retired
Justin Wilson was unavailable for comment, having been airlifted to hospital in Kuala Lumpur following the race. We wish him well.
Brit-F1 Star Rating
(5 star max)
Qualifying - Did not set time
“It is a strategy we chose to follow. We knew the likelihood was that we would qualify toward the back of the grid anyway, so we concentrated this morning instead on getting a better balance in the chassis with our tyres, We made progress in that area, so we’ll see tomorrow how our strategy works out. All in all, an interesting day.”
Race - Retired
“It was fantastic to have the opportunity of getting towards
the midfield and being able to race some of the other guys and drive past them.
It was good fun and an enjoyable experience, especially in my first Grand Prix.
It was just bad luck to get a stone through the radiator, which caused us to
have the terminal problem. Other than that, I didn’t have any particular
difficulties today. ”
Retired
Brit-F1 Star Rating
(5 star max)
On Signing for Minardi
"Like most young racing drivers, the ultimate aim has to be to reach Formula One. That dream has now become reality, but I probably still won’t quite believe it’s happened until I get behind the wheel of the new Minardi for the first time. A great many people have helped me to get to this point in my motor racing career, but I particularly want to thank my father, Keith, for his wholehearted support and encouragement, Jonathan Palmer, for his valuable guidance and advice, and Paul Stoddart, for giving me the chance to show what I can do in Formula One with Minardi. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I intend to make the most of it.”
