Javier Salas

Salas in 2015

**Javier Salas Martínez** (born 11 December 1987) is a Spanish racing driver currently competing in the Global Endurance Championship with Kreuzer Hermanns Racing in the EP-A class. Known as one of the most successful drivers in the International Formula Series ever, Salas competed in IFS from his debut in 2008 all the way to the end of the series in 2022, winning three world championships.

Salas is widely regarded as one of the most talented and versatile drivers of his generation, having won championships and races in various categories of motorsport. He started his career in karting at the age of eight and won several national and regional titles in Spain. He then moved to single-seaters and competed in various junior formulae, such as Formula Carlson, Formula C and International Formula Juniors. He made his breakthrough in 2008 when he joined the International Formula Series with Eurosilva Motorsport. He won his first IFS race in 2010 with Weston Motorsport at the Monaco Grand Prix and became a regular contender for podiums and wins. He achieved his first world championship with SAMB Grand Prix in 2014, beating McKenzie's Toomas Saar by 17 points after a thrilling season finale in Brazil. He defended his title in 2015, dominating the season with 10 wins out of 20 races. He claimed his third and final IFS crown in 2018, edging out Scuderia Barzetti's Jordan Smith by four points in a dramatic showdown in Interlagos.

He appears on the European edition of IFS 14.

## **Early Career**

Salas was born in Madrid, Spain, to a family of motorsport enthusiasts. His father, Manuel Salas, was a former rally driver who competed in the Spanish Rally Championship and the International Rally Championship. His mother, Elena Martínez, was a journalist who covered motorsport for various publications. Salas inherited his passion for racing from his parents and began karting at the age of eight. He quickly showed his talent and won several local and regional championships in Spain. He also participated in some international events, such as the European Karting Championship and the World Karting Championship.

In 2004, Salas graduated from karting and moved to single-seaters. He joined the Spanish Formula Carlson series, He drove for Team Estrella Ibérica and finished fourth in his rookie season, scoring two wins and six podiums. He also made his debut in the European Formula C series, which was a step above Formula Carlson and featured more powerful cars. He competed in four races with JLS Competición and scored one point.

Salas continued his progression and moved to European Formula C full-time with JLS Competición in 2005. He had a strong season and finished third in the championship, behind Daniel Lyons and Nico Holzmann. He won three races and scored nine podiums. He also made his first appearance in the International Formula Juniors series, which was the highest level of junior formulae before reaching the International Formula Series. He drove for Team ART Grand Prix in two races and scored two points.

In 2006, Salas made the jump to International Formula Juniors full-time with Highland Grand Prix. He had a breakthrough year and challenged for the title until the final race. He won four races and scored 12 podiums, but lost the championship to Lucas Costa by six points. He also made his debut in the International Formula Series at the end of the season, replacing an injured Krisztián Varga at Eurosilva Motorsport for the last two races. He impressed with his pace and scored four points.

Salas would not be signed to Eurosilva full-time, but was confirmed as their test and reserve driver for yet another season. He stayed in International Formula Juniors with Highland Grand Prix for 2007. He was determined to win the title and would go on to dominate the season with seven wins and 12 podiums out of 16 races. He clinched the championship with three races to spare and became the 2007 IFJ champion at the age of 19. Salas once again got the chance to prove himself in IFS as Hugo Mendoza was sacked for the final four races of the season. Salas impressed once again and scored eight points over four races, narrowly outpacing teammate and future rival Daniel Lyons.

In 2008, Salas graduated to International Formula Series full-time with Eurosilva Motorsport. He had a difficult rookie season as he struggled to adapt to the more competitive field and faced some reliability issues with his car. He scored only one podium and finished 12th in the championship with 22 points.