Rob Wilson won a scholarship to race in the 1975 British Formula Ford season. The following year he returned to New Zealand to race in the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship where he came in second in the championship. The Kiwi won a British Formula Ford 2000 race at Mallory Park in 1977, driving a Reynard. When he entered the British Formula Three Championship he won the fifteenth race of the season at Mallory Park. Scoring another two podium finishes the Kiwi ended up sixth in the BARC championship. The following season Wilson raced with year old equipment and could only score four points. The young driver won the 1980 BARC TV Trophy, a non-championship race for Formula 3 cars. In the British championship he scored five podium finishes and secured the fifth place in the standings. In early 1981 the New Zealander returned to his home country. He raced a part-time schedule in the Formula Pacific series. His best result came at Manfield Autocourse, here he finished third out of ten drivers. After obtaining his FIA Super Licence the Kiwi tried his racing luck in Formula One. He was first approached by Fittipaldi Automotive to replace the retiring Emerson Fittipaldi. But after the Brazilian cruzeiro was devaluated he needed to bring a sponsor which he did not have. Before the 1981 Belgian Grand Prix Wilson got into contact with Ken Tyrrell. But as Michele Alboreto offered more sponsor money he got the seat for the remainder of the season.