Mika Salo seemed to be on of the most underrated in Formula 1. He entered the sport in 1994 with Lotus as a rent-a-driver when Lotus where changing driver every race to try and get money from the sponsors. From 95-97 he raced for the Tyrrell team and impressed on occasion. On his debut for the team in Brazil 95 he was running third at one stage before a spin robbed him of an almost certain podium. He holds two honours from his Tyrrell years, both during the 1997 Monaco race in the wet. He came 5th, the last man to score a point for the famous Tyrrell team, and as he made it non stop he is the last man to run a race without stopping. 1998 saw ...  Read the complete review

Mika Salo's F1 career has been a stop-start affair to say the least; Salo is unquestionably talented driver, but, much like Jos Verstappen, seems destined to be forever-lumbered with substandard machinery not reflecting their driving skills to the fullest. His F1 re-birth with Toyota next year will be Salo's first opportunity of a season-long drive which has the potential to be rewarding. To date, the two strongest teams Salo has driven for have merely been substitute affairs, both in 1999. Salo first stepped in the season's second race, in Brazil, to replace Brazilian driver Ricardo Zonta (who was injured in an accident during practice) for the ...  Read the complete review

While Finland goes crazy at the mere mention of double F1 champion Mika Hakkinen, his compatriot and fierce rival Mika Salo gains far less attention. Way back in the 1990 British Formula 3 season, 2 young Finnish drivers were leaving the rest of the field in their wake. Both named Mika, they were a class apart. After a competitive battle, not resolved until the final round, it was Hakkinen who triumphed. Subsequently their careers took vastly different paths. For Hakkinen it was a case of onward and upward, as his F3 title proved a springboard into F1. Peter Collins, then Lotus team manager hired the young Finn for the 1991 season. In contrast, ...  Read the complete review

After years after years of Formula 1 driving in teams not worthy of his talent or his ability, Mika Salo finally got the break he deserved after Ferrari called on him to replace Michael Schumacher after his bad accident last Summer. As a replacement, he did a pretty good job with points finishes in a unfamiliar car. He could have nearly won the German Grand Prix in car no.3 had it not been for Irvine's World Championship charge. Nonetheless, his stock went up and when Toyota re-enter in 2002, he should be there with a gigantic force in terms of a car.  Read the complete review