Former Formula One driver Mika Salo has revealed he was attacked by a motorcyclist while using a pedestrian crossing in Bangkok, suffering a deep slash wound to his leg that forced him to severely limit his holiday.
Salo told the Finnish media outlet IS that the incident occurred on May 19, when a motorbike passed him as he was crossing the road.
“At that moment, I felt something hit me, but I didn’t realise what had happened,” Salo said. “Then a passer-by told me there was blood pouring from my leg.”
The 59-year-old said he looked down to find his shoe soaked in blood. Although he initially attempted to clean the wound himself, he quickly realised the injury was serious. A nearby taxi driver then took him to a hospital for treatment.
Doctors said the wound was caused by a sharp object, possibly a knife.
Salo said hospital staff told him several other people had arrived that evening with similar injuries, raising concerns that a motorcyclist may have been randomly attacking pedestrians.
“They told me there had been several cases with similar wounds that evening and night,” he said.
Although the wound did not become infected, it required 28 stitches.
Salo said the incident disrupted his stay in Thailand. Doctors advised him to avoid swimming, strenuous exercise and excessive sweating while the injury healed, due to the heightened risk of infection in the tropical climate.
“Unfortunately, you can’t swim or really do anything,” he said. “I’ve had to spend most of the time in the hotel room. The wound dries better in air conditioning. The doctor also told me not to walk long distances, but I can still comfortably manage one or two kilometres. I’m not in pain and don’t need painkillers, only antibiotics prescribed by the doctor.”
Despite the ordeal, Salo said he was not fearful of motorcyclists in the city, describing the attacker as an isolated individual.
“There are always idiots in big cities,” he said. “Fortunately, I was only injured in the leg and not elsewhere. If someone truly wanted to cause serious harm, they would probably have targeted the upper body.”
