Hot Seat
with Mika Salo - Tyrrell.
F1 Racing, September 1997.

Q: What was your first car?
A: A Mini 850 - a piece of junk I rebuilt. But my friend crashed it before I got my driving licence.

Q: What car do you own now?
A: I have lots of different cars, including a Ferrari F355.

Q: What's the fastest you've ever driven on the road?
A: 321 km/h on a German autobahn.

Q: Who would be at your ultimate dinner party?
A: James Hunt sounds like he would have been good fun. Maybe Hitler 'cos it would be nice to have one lunatic in there, and perm one of 10 beautiful women.

Q: Do you eat out a lot?
A: Obviously, travelling, you can't carry a kitchen, but at home I cook all the time. I'm better than my girlfriend.

Q: A sportsperson you admire?
A: Teemua Selanne, an ice hockey friend in the National Hockey League.

Q: Apart from driving, what else are you good at?
A: I shouldn't really say this, but almost everything. Except golf.

Q: Your most embarrassing moment?
A: There have been so many. But I guess I'm not that suited to running 19th or 20th in a motor race....

Q: Have you ever smoked?
A: Yes, but I stopped two years ago because it's a bad habit.

Q: Are drivers paid too much?
A: No, not at all.

Q: Whose toenails would you most like to cut?
Meg Ryan's.