Matthew Wilson facts for kids
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Matthew Wilson at 2017 Wales Rally GB
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 29 January 1987 |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 2004–2014, 2017 |
| Co-driver |  Scott Martin Michael Orr Giovanni Bernacchini Stuart Loudon |
| Teams | Stobart Ford |
| Rallies | 92 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Rally wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Stage wins | 3 |
| Total points | 196 |
| First rally | 2004 Wales Rally GB |
| Last rally | 2017 Wales Rally GB |
Matthew James Wilson, born on January 29, 1987, is a British rally driver from Cockermouth in Cumbria, England. He is the son of Malcolm Wilson, who used to be a rally driver himself and now leads the M-Sport team. Matthew Wilson competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC) for the Stobart M-Sport Ford team. His best finish was fourth place at the 2007 Rally Japan.
Contents
Matthew Wilson's Rally Career
Starting Out in Racing
Matthew Wilson first started racing in special single-seater cars called T Cars. He was very good, winning 17 out of 22 races to become the T Cars Champion in 2002. After that, he moved on to the Formula Renault UK Championship in 2003.
His first rally event was the 2003 Malcolm Wilson Rally. He actually started as a co-driver for his dad, and they won the race together! Matthew's first time competing in the World Rally Championship (WRC) was at the Wales Rally GB in 2004, where he finished 13th.
In 2005, Matthew was chosen for a special training program for young British rally drivers. That same year, he became the youngest person ever to win a round of the British Rally Championship. He won the Trackrod Rally when he was just 18 years, 8 months, and 5 days old.
A Tough Accident
However, in April 2005, Matthew had a big accident during the Rally of Wales. He was leading the race when his car slid off the road. He broke his right wrist and left forearm, and also hurt his right knee. His co-driver, Scott Martin, also broke his left leg.
Matthew returned to rallying four months later. He finished second in the Gleanor Speyside Stages Rally. Even though he was out for months because of his injuries, he still finished seventh overall in the 2005 British Rally Championship. In 2005, he also won the Malcolm Wilson Rally, the McRae Stages Rally, and the first-ever Rally Ireland.
Racing with Stobart Ford (2006–2011)
The year 2006 was Matthew Wilson's first full season in the WRC. He drove for the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford team and competed in all 16 rallies. He became the youngest rally driver to win a special stage (a short, fast part of a rally) and score championship points. He finished eighth overall at the 2006 Rally Argentina. This record was later broken by another driver, Andreas Mikkelsen. Matthew finished 28th in the championship that year. He was also the only driver to finish every single event in 2006.
Matthew's dad, Malcolm Wilson, had a five-year plan for him, aiming for him to improve steadily. In 2006, the goal was just to finish every rally and learn. In 2007, other drivers on the Stobart team were chosen to score points for the team, which took some pressure off Matthew. He finished 11th in the drivers' world championship with 11 points. His best result was fourth place at the 2007 Rally Japan.
The 2008 season started with a 10th place finish at the 2008 Monte Carlo Rally. This was his best result there at the time. He also had to get used to a new car, new tires, and a new-old co-driver, Scott Martin. In Sweden, he was doing well, in fifth place, but had to stop because of a problem with his car. He scored his first points of 2008 in Mexico, finishing sixth.
In September 2008, Matthew Wilson took part in the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally. This event was held to remember Colin McRae, a famous rally driver who passed away in 2007. Matthew won the event easily.
Go Fast Energy World Rally Team (2012)
In 2012, Matthew Wilson joined a private team called Go Fast Energy World Rally Team. He drove a Ford Fiesta RS WRC. He finished 11th in the first race of the season, the Monte Carlo Rally.
After that, he broke his ankle during training. This meant he had to miss several races. He hoped to return for later rallies, but he and the team did not compete in any more events that year until the very end of the season.
Return to Wales Rally GB (2012)
Matthew Wilson was able to get money from companies in his home area of Cumbria to enter the 2012 Wales Rally GB. His car had a new purple and white design. He stayed in ninth place for most of the rally and then moved up to eighth place. Matthew finished the rally about six minutes behind the winner. This result earned him his first championship points (4 points) for 2012.
After this race, Matthew hoped to find enough money to compete in the final race of the season in Spain, but this did not happen.
Career Results in WRC
Matthew Wilson competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC) for many years. Here's a summary of his results:
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | M-Sport | Ford Focus RS WRC 02 | MON | SWE | MEX | NZL | CYP | GRE | TUR | ARG | FIN | GER | JPN | GBR 13 |
ITA | FRA | ESP | AUS | NC | 0 |
| 2005 | Stobart | Ford Focus RS WRC | MON | SWE | MEX | NZL | ITA | CYP | TUR | GRE | ARG | FIN | GER | GBR 15 |
JPN | FRA | ESP | AUS | NC | 0 |
| 2006 | Stobart VK M-Sport | Ford Focus RS WRC 04 | MON 15 |
SWE 14 |
MEX 16 |
ESP 15 |
FRA 16 |
ARG 8 |
ITA 34 |
GRE 10 |
GER 12 |
FIN 10 |
CYP 10 |
TUR 12 |
28th | 1 | ||||
| Ford Focus RS WRC 06 | JPN 40 |
AUS 27 |
NZL 13 |
GBR 12 |
||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Stobart VK M-Sport | Ford Focus RS WRC 06 | MON 12 |
SWE Ret |
NOR 26 |
MEX 8 |
POR 12 |
ARG 30 |
ITA 12 |
GRE 10 |
FIN 10 |
GER 9 |
NZL 10 |
ESP 11 |
FRA Ret |
JPN 4 |
IRE 7 |
GBR 6 |
11th | 11 |
| 2008 | Stobart VK M-Sport | Ford Focus RS WRC 07 | MON 10 |
SWE Ret |
MEX 6 |
ARG Ret |
JOR 5 |
ITA 12 |
GRE 6 |
TUR 7 |
FIN 9 |
GER 12 |
NZL 17 |
ESP 9 |
FRA 8 |
JPN 7 |
GBR 9 |
10th | 15 | |
| 2009 | Stobart VK M-Sport | Ford Focus RS WRC 08 | IRE 7 |
NOR 7 |
CYP 5 |
POR Ret |
ARG 5 |
ITA 6 |
GRE 13 |
POL 5 |
FIN 8 |
AUS 6 |
ESP 7 |
GBR 6 |
7th | 28 | ||||
| 2010 | Stobart VK M-Sport | Ford Focus RS WRC 08 | SWE 7 |
MEX 16 |
JOR 5 |
TUR 7 |
NZL 6 |
POR 6 |
BUL 9 |
FIN 6 |
GER 6 |
JPN 22 |
FRA 8 |
ESP 6 |
GBR 7 |
7th | 74 | |||
| 2011 | Stobart M-Sport | Ford Fiesta RS WRC | SWE 9 |
MEX Ret |
POR 5 |
JOR 5 |
ITA 9 |
ARG 8 |
GRE 6 |
FIN 8 |
GER 11 |
AUS 4 |
FRA 10 |
ESP Ret |
GBR 5 |
7th | 63 | |||
| 2012 | Go Fast Energy | Ford Fiesta RS WRC | MON 11 |
SWE | MEX | POR | ARG | GRE | NZL | FIN | GER | 25th | 4 | |||||||
| M-Sport Ford | GBR 8 |
FRA | ITA | ESP | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Qatar | Ford Fiesta RS WRC | MON | SWE 27 |
MEX | POR | ARG | GRE | ITA | FIN | GER | AUS | FRA | ESP | GBR | NC | 0 | |||
| 2014 | Yazeed Racing | Ford Fiesta RRC | MON | SWE | MEX | POR | ARG | ITA | POL | FIN | GER | AUS | FRA | ESP | GBR 14 |
NC | 0 | |||
| 2017 | C-Rally | Ford Fiesta R5 | MON | SWE | MEX | FRA | ARG | POR | ITA | POL | FIN | GER | ESP | GBR 39 |
AUS | NC | 0 | |||
See also
In Spanish: Matthew Wilson (piloto) para niños
