MATTHEW WILSON
| Date of birth: | 29 January 1987 |
| Lives: | Cumbria, England |
| Marital status: | Single |
| Hobbies: | Mountain biking, fitness, football and shooting |
| First WRC: | 2004 Wales Rally GB |
| WRC starts*: | 49 |
| WRC wins*: | 0 |
| First WRC point scored: | 2006 Rally Argentina (eighth) |
| First WRC stage win: | 2006 Rally Argentina (SS22) |
| First WRC DNF: | 2007 Rally Sweden |
| WRC Drivers' points finishes*: | 11 |
| Total WRC points scored*: | 12 |
| WRC DNFs*: | 4 |
| Best WRC result: | Fourth (2007 Rally Japan) |
| Co-driver: | Scott Martin |
Matthew Wilson's first rally was in 2003 - when he acted as co-driver for his father, Malcolm Wilson. A year later he was behind the wheel of a rally car himself.
In 2004 Wilson was the only driver to achieve a 100% reliability record contesting the MSA British Rally Championship, finishing third overall and scoring points in every round. His best result was third overall on Trackrod Rally Yorkshire. That year he made his debut on Wales Rally GB, finishing 13th overall.
Matthew's career was given a boost in 2005 when he was selected to be a part of the MSA British Rally Elite scheme, a national training initiative supported by the MSA, UK Motorsport's governing body. A total of six of the top young drivers and co-drivers in the UK were chosen to participate. They receive training in areas including Sport Psychology, Sport Physiology, Media Skills and specific driver and co-driver training.
This year was a somewhat difficult season for Wilson, with his MSA British Rally Championship programme curtailed after an accident on the opening round, the Rally of Wales in April. Despite this, he had already won the Malcolm Wilson Rally in March, and once back to full health he took victory on the McRae Stages Rally and was winner on Trackrod Rally Yorkshire - becoming Britain's youngest-ever winner of a British Rally Championship round at 18 years, 8 months and 5 days. He also took victory on the inaugural Rally Ireland in mid-October.
In 2006 however, his career moved forward massively as he contested a full programme of sixteen FIA World Rally Championship events as lead driver in the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Manufacturer 2 Team. Co-driven by Ulsterman Michael Orr, the pair put in a stirring performance and were classified as finishers on every single round of the championship. Wilson entered the history books on Rally Argentina, becoming the youngest ever driver to take a WRC stage win and score a driver's point in the championship.
2007 saw another full season as part of the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team, again partnered by Michael Orr, and again using the championship-winning Ford Focus RS WRC06. Wilson progressed steadily throughout the year, regularly scoring drivers' points in the second half of the season and securing a fantastic fourth place in Rally Japan - his best ever finish. He rounded off a good season by claiming sixth at Wales Rally GB ahead of many well-established drivers, placing him eleventh overall in the drivers' championship standings.
2008 saw Wilson joined by fellow Cumbrian Scott Martin as co-driver in the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team, with whom he competed during 2004-2005 in the MSA British Rally Championship. A consistent season saw Wilson notch up six points finishes - including an overall fifth-place finish in Jordan - and take a significant step forward in his outright pace, recording split times similar to those of rally winners.
In 2009 Wilson and Martin are once again tackling a full FIA World Rally Championship campaign in the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team using the record-breaking Ford Focus RS WRC, with continued backing from the UK-based Stobart Group.