Former F1 driver Mika Salo stabbed in Bangkok, requires 28 stitches
Finnish former Formula 1 driver Mika Salo, 59, was hospitalised in Bangkok this week after being slashed in the leg by a passing moped rider as he crossed a pedestrian crossing , in what local doctors believe was a deliberate knife attack.
Speaking to Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, Salo said the incident occurred on Tuesday evening near his hotel. A moped passed close by, and he felt only a slight bump, so he continued walking normally. About 50 metres later, a passerby called out to tell him blood was running down his leg. Looking down, he saw his shoe was completely covered in blood.
Salo took a taxi to a nearby hospital, where doctors found a deep open wound with torn muscle, requiring 8 stitches in the muscle and another 20 in the skin, for a total of 28 stitches .
His wife, Annica Salo, told Ilta-Sanomat that doctors described the injury as a clean, deep incision made by a sharp knife.
More worryingly, when Salo returned to the hospital the following day to have the wound cleaned, staff told him several similar slash wounds had been treated that same night , suggesting the attack may have been part of a wider spree.
Salo is now in stable condition. The stitches will remain in for about two weeks, the wound must be kept dry, and he has been prescribed a course of antibiotics . His wife has since flown from Finland to be with him in Thailand.
Who is Mika Salo?
Mika Juhani Salo was born on 30 November 1966 in Helsinki, Finlan , and competed in Formula One from 1994 to 2002.
His career highlight came in 1999, when Michael Schumacher broke his leg in a crash at Silverstone and Ferrari called Salo in as his mid-season replacement . Across six races for Ferrari, Salo claimed two podium finishes and famously came close to winning the German Grand Prix, only to hand victory to teammate Eddie Irvine on team orders. His contribution helped Ferrari clinch the Constructors’ Championship that year.
After retiring from F1, Salo moved into sports car racing, where his biggest successes came with back-to-back GT2 class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2008 and 2009, as well as victory at the 2014 Bathurst 12 Hour . He currently works as a Formula 1 commentator for Finnish broadcaster MTV3.
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