Since Mika Salo made his debut in the 1994 Japanese Grand Prix he drove for five different teams and scored a total of 33 points. He finished in the points 16 times but only three times higher than fifth position. Salo scored his first points in the 1995 Italian Grand Prix where he finished fifth for Tyrrell. In the last two races of the year he would score another fifth place in the Japanese and sixth in the Australian Grand Prix. In 1996 and 1997 Salo continued to drive for the Tyrrell team and scored a total of seven points. For the 1998 season he joined Arrows but apart from a fourth place in the Monaco Grand Prix he did not score any more points.
Initially Salo was without a drive for 1999 but it would turn out to be the best season of his career points wise. First he substituted for Ricardo Zonta at BAR and then for Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, who had broken his leg in the British Grand Prix. In the German Grand Prix Salo got his first podium position when he finished second behind teammate Eddie Irvine and in the Italian Grand Prix he finished third bringing his total number of points that year to 10. At Hockenheim Salo was given team orders to give up the lead to Eddie Irvine so the Irishman could continue his quest for the driver’s championship. Effectively Mika Salo gave up his only chance to win a Grand Prix. In 2000 he finished in the points four times driving for the Sauber team but no higher than fifth position.
For 2001 he joined Toyota, who were preparing themselves to enter Formula One in 2002. In the first two races for Toyota in Formula One he scored two sixth places bringing his total of points to 33.
Tags: career points, mika salo