Eventful race for Matthew in Mexico
A fourth fastest time in a World Rally Championship stage, a career-best sixth placing in the overall standings, a day-ending off just a kilometre into the first stage of leg two and a brake-binding problem slowing him on the final day. Corona Rally Mexico delivered a roller-coaster of emotions for Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team driver Matthew Wilson on the 19-year-old`s first ever visit to Mexico.
Wilson made a superb start to his third rally of 2006, the third round of the World Rally Championship. The young Brit was immediately into the groove on day one`s treacherous and technical gravel stages. Wilson and co-driver Michael Orr adopted a cautious approach, yet their times were firmly in the top ten on every test. By the end of the day, Wilson and Orr sat sixth in the overall standings, a best-ever for Wilson and for any competitor so young in the World Rally Championship.

From the high of Friday, the pair soon came down to earth on Saturday`s very first stage. The 25.23km El Zauco test opened proceedings and it was here that the number nine Ford Focus RS WRC 05 bounced out of one of the numerous bumps and into a rock bank. The suspension damage was sufficient to put the car out of the rally for the remainder of the day. Just 500 metres later in the stage, fellow Ford driver Mikko Hirvonen rolled his car out of second overall, illustrating the difficult nature of the stage. After attention from the M-Sport crew in the service park, Wilson`s Focus was back for the final day and the rally`s longest stage could be contested after the crew returned under SupeRally regulations.

Sunday`s three stages were a struggle for Wilson, however. He initially thought the problem was due to a lack of engine power. However, after an investigation by the team, it emerged that Wilson`s Saturday impact had been sufficient to affect the brake pedal box meaning that Wilson`s brakes were binding on.

“It`s a bit frustrating to end the rally with problems but the good thing is on Friday we showed a bit of our pace and if we can do that on the next gravel rally I`ll be happy,” said Matthew. “I didn`t expect to be sixth at the second service on Friday, that`s for sure. It was encouraging that were able to go quick on the first run through stages, it means the notes are working.”

“The corner which caught us out on Saturday felt really good; we`d braked, turned in well, but it was just the way the dip and the compression went which flicked the car sideways,” explained Wilson. “Our biggest priority once we`d stopped was slowing the cars and making sure nobody hit us as we were in a bad place. We tried to fix the car but it`s not easy when you`re on uneven ground and you`ve got it jacked up and there are still cars going flat out past you. We had a good go; but it just wasn`t to be.”

Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team driver principal Malcolm Wilson added: “It`s incredible that all four Ford drivers here on this rally have had accidents and things that have stopped them. What can you say to your son, when you`ve got a double world champion in Marcus Gronholm who`s gone off, and his team-mate Mikko Hirvonen, who was fighting for the lead, then went off on the same stage. For Matthew to go off in the first time that he`s driven here when he was doing so well I can`t really say much; it`s all part of the process he needs to go through to get to the top. With the impact it had yesterday it twisted the floor and the chassis and that has just twisted the pedal box slightly meaning less tolerance in the brake making them bind on. For Matthew and everything he`s experienced on this rally I`m really encouraged by his performance.”

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