Former F1 Driver Mika Salo Injured by Suspected Blade Attack in Bangkok
Former F1 Driver Mika Salo Injured by Suspected Blade Attack in Bangkok
BANGKOK, May 24, 2026 — Former Formula 1 driver Mika Salo is recovering in Bangkok after suffering a severe leg injury in what doctors suspect may have been a deliberate stabbing incident near his hotel earlier this week.
Salo, 59, told Finnish media that the incident occurred while he was crossing a pedestrian crossing in Bangkok when a motorcycle passed extremely close to him.
The former racing driver initially believed he had only been lightly brushed by the motorcycle and continued walking. However, a passer-by soon alerted him that blood was pouring from his leg.
“When I looked down, my shoe was full of blood,” Salo reportedly said, describing the injury as a deep open wound.
He was transported by taxi to a nearby hospital, where doctors treated the injury with 28 stitches to repair damaged muscle tissue and skin.
Salo said doctors believed the wound may have been caused by a knife because the cut was unusually straight, deep and clean, raising suspicions that the injury may not have been accidental.
According to Salo, hospital staff informed him that several other patients had arrived the same evening with similar slash-type injuries in the same area near his hotel.
The former Formula 1 driver has been holidaying in Thailand with his wife and said he frequently visits the country, where he has many friends.
Doctors reportedly warned that the first few days after the injury were critical because of infection risks associated with Bangkok’s hot and humid climate during the rainy season.
Salo said he has returned to hospital daily for treatment and wound cleaning but has not required painkillers despite the severity of the injury. He is currently taking antibiotics and remains able to walk short distances.
Heavy rain and high temperatures have largely confined him to his hotel room, although he said he was later able to walk to a nearby sports bar to watch Finland’s national ice hockey team play.
Despite the incident, Salo praised Thailand’s medical care, describing the hospitals and doctors as highly professional and efficient.
“If this was intentional, they only tried to injure me,” he said, adding that the outcome could have been far more serious had the wound been inflicted higher on his body.
Mika Salo competed in Formula 1 between 1994 and 2002, driving for teams including Tyrrell, Arrows, Sauber and Toyota. He also briefly raced for Ferrari in 1999 as a replacement for the injured Michael Schumacher.
