Wilson frustrated by early bath in Japan

Stobart Ford team driver Matthew Wilson has talked of his frustration at retiring from Rally Japan with a completely undamaged car.

Wilson’s half-spin near the end of the Kamuycep stage turned into something considerably more sinister when the front wheels dropped into a ditch leaving the rear of the car in the air.

With no spectators present to help lift the car out, the Briton retired on the spot - and will return under superally regulations tomorrow.

“I was sat there looking at the car and then at the road and I was sure we could get it back,” said Wilson. “It’s an absolute sickner, but that’s the game sometimes. I remember when Richard [Burns] retired on the way into service on the Safari Rally [in 2002] - I’ve got an insight into how he must have felt at that time. The frustration is massive to be sitting in a car which is absolutely perfect and ready to go to the next stage. We drove the car back here and we’ll superally tomorrow - I only wish we could superally this afternoon!

“I put the car in reverse, fully expecting to back out of the spin, but the wheels started to spin. I locked the diff, tried again and the same thing happened; I knew then that we weren’t going anywhere in a hurry. If this had happened in Finland, there would have been plenty of people around and we’d have been straight back on the road. I guess that’s the nature of the roads on this rally.”

Wilson had been lying eighth going into the second day of the event. This is only the second time in 15 rounds of the World Rally Championship that he has failed to finish in the points.