Alessandro “Alex” Zanardi, a distinguished Italian race driver and later para-cyclist, has died suddenly at the age of 59, his family said in a statement on Saturday.
“Alex fell asleep peacefully surrounded by the love and affection of his loved ones,” the statement said.
The family did not elaborate on the cause of death, but the man, who is disabled in both legs, suffered serious injuries in a road accident while riding his handbike in Sienna, northern Italy, in 2020.
Who was Alex Zanardi?
Zanardi was considered one of the most talented prospects of his generation in motorsport, but the stars never aligned in his favor in Formula 1.
The Jordan, Minardi and Lotus teams he worked for in his first F1 stint were all uncompetitive when he was in the cockpit and his best career finish was sixth.
Nevertheless, Zanardi made enough of a name for himself that he was offered a good drive with Chip Ganassi Racing in the now-defunct CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) single-seater series in North America.
He was immediately among the front runners and won championships in 1997 and 1998, before returning to F1 with Williams to turn the tables with Ralf Schumacher. Here, too, his time was up – just over a year before he would reach the Woking-based team, when he would once again have a competitive car and engine.
Upon his return to the CART series in 2001, Zanardi suffered a life-altering accident at the Lausitzring in Germany.
He spun, slid back onto the track and was then hit by another car coming at full speed, completely damaging the front of his car and seriously damaging his legs. Zanardi barely survived the accident, nearly bleeding out at the scene. Both legs had to be amputated, one from the hip and the other from the knee.
Zanardi would return to the cockpit in specially modified cars in the World Touring Car Championship and some other events, and would occasionally show race-winning pace despite his shortcomings.
An avid cyclist before his injuries, Zanardi also competed in Paralympic competition as a hand cyclist, winning four gold medals and two silver for Italy in 2012 and 2016.
What did Zanardi’s friends and fans say in tribute?
Zanardi’s teammates, fans and even the Prime Minister of Italy rushed to pay tribute to the famously friendly and upbeat racer and his constant positivity.
The FIA World Motorsport Federation called him an “enduring symbol of courage and determination”.
F1 chairman and CEO Stefano Domenicali praised his “dear friend” Zanardi in a statement online.
Dominicali said, “He was truly an inspirational person, both as a human being and as an athlete. I will always cherish his extraordinary strength. He faced challenges that would have stopped anyone, yet he always moved forward with a smile and a determination that inspired us all.”
“Words cannot express my feelings about this man,” Zanardi’s old team boss Chip Ganassi wrote after the pair shared back-to-back championships in the late ’90s. “I like winners.”
Even Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised Zanardi’s spirit and character.
He wrote, “Italy has lost a great champion and an extraordinary man, who was able to transform every trial of life into a lesson of courage, strength and dignity.”
The Olympic Committee of Italy (CONI) asked all sports bodies in the country to observe a minute of silence in Zanardi’s honor at sporting events this weekend.
Edited by: Louis Olofse