Former F1 Driver Mika Salo Injured in Suspected Bangkok Knife Attack
Former F1 driver Mika Salo required 28 stitches after a suspected knife attack by a motorcycle rider in Bangkok, with hospital staff reporting multiple similar slash wound cases that evening.
BANGKOK — On May 26, 2026, former Formula One driver Mika Salo disclosed that he required 28 stitches to close a deep leg wound from a suspected knife attack by a passing motorcycle rider while crossing a Bangkok street.
Salo, 59, told Finnish media the attack happened Tuesday evening near his hotel as he crossed at a pedestrian crossing. He initially felt only a slight impact and continued walking until a bystander alerted him that blood was streaming down his leg. Looking down, he discovered his shoe was soaked in blood.
The former Ferrari substitute driver was taken by taxi to a nearby hospital, where doctors discovered a deep open wound to his calf. Salo explained that doctors had to stitch both muscle and skin separately—eight stitches in the muscle and 20 in the skin—totaling 28 stitches.
Doctors suspected a knife or sharp object caused the injury, as the wound was deep, clean, and straight, according to Salo's account to Finnish media. However, Thai authorities have not independently confirmed the exact cause.
Salo also reported that hospital staff told him several other patients had been treated for similar slash wounds that same evening and overnight, with some possibly occurring in the same area near his hotel. This suggests the incident may not have been isolated.
No official Thai police statement has confirmed whether the reported cases were connected or if a suspect has been identified.
"If this was intentional, they only tried to injure me," Salo was quoted as saying, noting that the outcome could have been far worse if the blade had struck a vital area.
Salo said he has been returning to the hospital for wound cleaning and dressing changes while taking antibiotics during his recovery in Bangkok. He praised Thailand's medical care, calling the doctors and hospitals efficient and professional.
Salo raced in Formula One from 1994 to 2002 for teams including Lotus, Tyrrell, Arrows, BAR, Ferrari, Sauber, and Toyota. He is best remembered for substituting for an injured Michael Schumacher at Ferrari during six races in the 1999 season.
