OCTOBER 10, 2001
Wilson aims stateside
Britain's Justin Wilson, the 2001 FIA Formula 3000 champion, has resigned himself to having missed out on Formula 1 for the time being after Jordan opted to sign Japanese driver Takuma Sato over both Wilson and Jean Alesi.
The Briton's main problem - despite a dominant performance in what has long been touted as the principle Formula 1 feeder category - has been ascribed to his height, for at 6ft 4in the 'flying giraffe' is claimed to be hard for the teams to cram within the optimum cockpit dimensions of a Formula 1 car.
Having done seemingly everything an aspiring driver could do to make it into the top flight, and left the Jordan team deeply impressed by his abilities, it would be easy to understand if Wilson were somewhat dejected, but he is now aiming to land a competitive drive in the USA. "I certainly intend to go to a couple of this year's remaining races, to chat to Champ Car teams," he said.