Salo to retire

Down F0rce · 29 Aug 2002, 17:49 (Ref:368476)

Mika Salo will retire at the end of this season. he says he "doesnt want to be a test driver" but is interested in auto development.

Tristan · 29 Aug 2002, 17:52 (Ref:368478)

Golly!! Booted and then quits!! Well, he is older than one would think...

Speedworx · 29 Aug 2002, 17:55 (Ref:368482)

He won't be missed, there are better drivers around.

Down F0rce · 29 Aug 2002, 17:58 (Ref:368488)

Quote:

Originally posted by hakkiman
He won't be missed, there are better drivers around.

yea, everone seems to think that he aint a good driver. Hockenheim '99 anyone?

BootsOntheSide · 29 Aug 2002, 18:32 (Ref:368523)

I get the impression that he's been really treated badly by Toyota, he gave up his chance of a very good 2001 Sauber, put in over a year of hard slog developing an impressive car, then got swept aside by short-termist management. I don't think we'd see him or McNish in an F1 car again after this year

kmchow · 29 Aug 2002, 18:51 (Ref:368544)

Perhaps Salo should try for a career in touring cars, like the DTM or something like that?

Speedworx · 29 Aug 2002, 18:56 (Ref:368550)

Hockenheim was a fluke!

The other races he did in the Ferrari were nothing special. Everyone realised then that Salo would never make a GP winner.

Sato san · 29 Aug 2002, 20:22 (Ref:368594)

ive always found Salo a difficult driver to place on the talent scale .......dont know why , but ive never been too sure about how good or bad he is .

mac · 29 Aug 2002, 22:29 (Ref:368678)

Salo must feel shattered. He put his career on hold while he slogged his guts out for Toyota and then Toyota returns the favour by punting him. I would be pretty bitter.

Salo is a good driver. The thing that would get to me, is that they've replaced him with Panis and Verstappen (apparently). That is just ludicrous. I would say Salo is at least on par with Panis and way ahead of Jos.

Sato san · 29 Aug 2002, 22:37 (Ref:368687)

i remember Salo saying he didnt mind taking a year out of racing to test with Toyota as he was laying foundations for the future ....11 or so races later and he's dumped .

f1manoz · 30 Aug 2002, 01:28 (Ref:368764)

I pity Salo. He's never been a favourite, but after all the hard work he's put in the past two years, you'd think Toyota would pay him back a little. Instead, they replace him with Jos 'the Loss' Verstappen......

Well, au revoir Mika......

Sato san · 30 Aug 2002, 06:49 (Ref:368818)

yer , thats the worse bit for me too.....im not much of a fan of Salo either...but how to rub someones face in the mud or what ......theyve replaced him with Verstappen .

I bet Hakkinen found this funny.....i gather the 2 Finns quite dislike each other a fair bit going back to their british F3 days !

Jukebox · 30 Aug 2002, 06:56 (Ref:368820)

Quote:

Originally posted by Sato san
yer , thats the worse bit for me too.....im not much of a fan of Salo either...but how to rub someones face in the mud or what ......theyve replaced him with Verstappen .

Are you sure about that? from which source?

Quote:

Originally posted by Sato san
I bet Hakkinen found this funny.....i gather the 2 Finns quite dislike each other a fair bit going back to their british F3 days !

ironic isn't it...Salo was leading the championship and suddenly Hakkinen snatched the title in the end.

Mania · 30 Aug 2002, 09:23 (Ref:368904)

Quote:

Originally posted by f1manoz
Instead, they replace him with Jos 'the Loss' Verstappen......

Nice one!

If they do put Jos in the Toyota then I would think that would be a bad move - they already have Panis in the team and it would be better to have a younger driver to partner hhim - someone like Massa for instance.

DNQ · 30 Aug 2002, 10:49 (Ref:368959)

Salo is OK, but he isn't brilliant, he's had a good career, shame he never won a race, and its a shame he wont reap the benefits of Toyota's F1 program.

Good luck in retirement Mika

NME · 30 Aug 2002, 12:08 (Ref:369023)

Regarding Mika Salo ... i just can say THANK YOU, cause you have been one of those who have had to fight all the way up the ladder and never give up on looking for the right car that would allow to show everyone what you are capable of.
Dont know what happen "inside" Toyota, but it was expectable that Mika would have a 2nd year in the Team ... but that is F1!
Wherever you are going in the future ... good luck and have fun !
Cheers.

Raven · 30 Aug 2002, 13:06 (Ref:369099)

It's a sad sight to see Mika have to bow out like this. In the interview he did today it seemed like he had been considering retirement for a while, maybe Toyota sensed this and decided with next year being his last anyway, it might be better to put someone else in the car. A shame, since a Panis/Salo combination, in an improved Toyota, would have been a very strong package. It'll be a true crime if Jos the toss gets that seat.

Madman · 30 Aug 2002, 13:10 (Ref:369105)

Is he definately retiring?

I know this is of the subject, but does anyone know when the AUTO-SALON hits brisbane or have i missed it?

NME · 30 Aug 2002, 14:49 (Ref:369178)

Guys dont treat Jos Verstappen like that. He is a good racer. I would rather see Cristiano da Matta in the 2nd Toyota, but dont be so rude on Jos.

Madman, YOU ARE LUCKY ... AUTO SALON WILL START NEXT WEEK
2002 Auto Salon Brisbane
Brisbane Convention Centre
SOUTHBANK Sept 7-8
Sat:10am-9pm Sun:10am-7pm
www.autosalon.org
... by the way did you know that you live in the best city in the world ???

Minardi fan · 30 Aug 2002, 23:11 (Ref:369566)

Quote:

Originally posted by mac
Salo must feel shattered. He put his career on hold while he slogged his guts out for Toyota and then Toyota returns the favour by punting him. I would be pretty bitter.

Yup, me too.

What Sato san was saying is true, it's difficult to put Salo on the talent scale. I think, sadly, his speed and talent have declined as he has got older - his performances in the Tyrrell when he partnered Katayama were truly magnificent, and he did a pretty nifty job alongside Diniz and Verstappen at Arrows. He did a great job for Ferrari IMHO but at Sauber the cracks began to show, when he really should have shown (the highly under-rated) Diniz the way home...

He's a good driver, but was never going to set the F1 world on fire... He and Allan must be gutted by what Toyota have done, and actually, it makes me a little bit mad - especially when one of their replacements is Jos Verstappen...

RT · 31 Aug 2002, 01:22 (Ref:369593)

Quote:

Originally posted by NME
Regarding Mika Salo ... i just can say THANK YOU, cause you have been one of those who have had to fight all the way up the ladder and never give up on looking for the right car that would allow to show everyone what you are capable of.
Dont know what happen "inside" Toyota, but it was expectable that Mika would have a 2nd year in the Team ... but that is F1!
Wherever you are going in the future ... good luck and have fun !
Cheers.

My feelings exactly NME. The only advantage of the change is that the Toyota management will have all of next year to realize how good Mika Salo and "old" McNish were. Salo did deserve a second year.

With the move, Toyota did more to help the Honda programme catch up and "pass" them than they could imagine.

Good luck to you Mika Salo !!

RT

Baby Spice · 31 Aug 2002, 16:16 (Ref:369972)

You guys' words stated my feeling, he'd been used, I am sorry for him.

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