04 Feb 12

Wilson forced to
miss Sweden

Go Fast Energy World Rally Team's Matthew Wilson will be a non-starter on Rally Sweden next week after he injured his ankle during a training session near his home in north-west England earlier today (Saturday).

The 25-year-old was running in hills as part of his rigorous training regime when fell awkwardly, suffering a suspected broken left ankle. It means Henning Solberg will be Go Fast Energy’s sole representative on the Karlstad-based event, round two of the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia, from 9-12 February.

“It looks as though I’ve broken and dislocated my left ankle so, unfortunately, that means no Rally Sweden for me,” said Wilson, an ever-present in the WRC since Rallye Monte-Carlo in January 2006. “I was really looking forward to Sweden. We were a lot more prepared for this rally [than we had been for Rallye Monte-Carlo] and we would have been looking for a good result. I’m absolutely gutted.”

Wilson, who finished seventh in last year’s WRC drivers’ standings, suffered serious leg injuries in a crash on a British championship rally in April 2005. He subsequently made a full recovery and employs the services of a trainer to ensure his high level of physical fitness.

Solberg, meanwhile, prepared by Rally Sweden by finishing second overall to Citroen’s Mikko Hirvonen on Rally Finnskog in his native Norway on Saturday. Solberg was driving an uprated Mitsubishi Lancer alongside regular navigator Ilka Minor rather the Ford Fiesta RS WRC he will use in Sweden.