Motor racing: Salo: I won't let my next chance of winning get away

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Dec 23, 2001 | by MICHAEL DERBY

MIKA SALO sets out next season on a mission for the Grand Prix win he wishes he'd never handed to Eddie Irvine.

The Finn partners Britain's Allan McNish in the new Toyota team, who begin testing their first F1 racing car on January 7. And Salo will be driven by the torment of knowing his generosity to another British team-mate was wasted.

Salo, substituting for broken leg victim Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, could have had a maiden victory in the 1999 German Grand Prix.

But he was under instructions to help Irvine's title bid so he moved over and allowed his stable-mate to win. Irvine failed to capitalise, losing the title by two points to Salo's countryman Mika Hakkinen.

Salo (pictured with Irvine, right) said: "I regret moving over because in the end it didn't make any difference. But it was my job to help Eddie and as soon as I was told to let him through, I did. I could have won that race, no question, and now I still don't have a Grand Prix win."

Salo believes he can finally become a winner with Toyota but he has endured more anguish since he signed up. A massive crash in testing put him out of action for three months.

Salo added: "I had no doubts I'd be back. I came here because I could see the team's potential. We can't expect to win straight away but we can get there." Salo and McNish have covered more than 3,000 laps in testing but the crucial period will be the two months they have to work with the race car before the team's debut at the Australian Grand Prix on March 3.

"It's impossible to say how good the car is," said Salo. "We'll only begin to know when we start racing.

"But whatever it takes I'll be looking for that first win - and this time I won't give it away!"