After retiring from motor racing, Alessandro Zanardi competed in the 2012 London Paralympic Games, where he won two gold medals and one silver medal. Credit: Roberto Serratore Share Alike 4.
The family of Alessandro Zanardi announced on Saturday, May 2, his sudden passing the previous night. “Alex passed away peacefully, surrounded by the love of his loved ones,” the family stated in a press release, without specifying the cause of death. However, some Italian media outlets reported that the cause of death for the 59-year-old Zanardi was an acute cardiac episode. The Basilica of Santa Giustina will host the funeral on Tuesday, May 5.
Fans remember Zanardi as an athlete renowned for for the optimism he always displayed despite his grave motor racing accident in 2001 and the amputation of his legs.
Two accidents, four golds, and a lifetime of comebacks
On September 15, 2001, at the Lausitzring in Germany, Zanardi’s life changed irreversibly. He was competing in one of his best races in Champ Car: after starting last from the pits, he had fought his way to the lead. Upon returning to the track after a late stop, an incorrect burst of acceleration left him sideways. Canadian driver Alex Tagliani, who was following behind, could not avoid him and sliced through the nose of the car. The collision occurred at approximately 320 km/h.
When CART medical director Steve Olvey arrived, Zanardi’s legs were separated from his body, and blood was flowing across the asphalt. Olvey closed the femoral arteries to stop the hemorrhaging; at that moment, Zanardi had only one liter of blood left in his body. A helicopter crew rushed him to a hospital in Berlin, where he endured 16 surgeries and 7 cardiac arrests.
“When I woke up without legs, I looked at the half that remained, not the half I had lost,” he declared at the time from the hospital.
Following a heroic return to motorsport in cars adapted to his new condition, he eventually dedicated himself to paracycling and participated in the Paralympic Games. Competing for Italy, he won a total of six medals across two editions between 2012 and 2016. In addition to those six medals, he earned eight world road titles on his handbike.
A second accident ended his public presence
On June 19, 2020, Zanardi was participating in the “Obiettivo Tricolore” charity race with his handbike in the province of Siena. During the competition, he lost control of the vehicle, crossed into the opposite lane, and collided with a truck. After the accident, he underwent neurosurgical and maxillofacial surgery and was later transferred to a specialized neurorehabilitation center. Due to complications, he had to be admitted urgently to intensive care at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan. In January 2021, he regained consciousness, and in December of the same year, he was able to return home, but he never appeared in public again.
His departure from CART opened the door for Montoya
Zanardi was born in Bologna on Oct. 23, 1966, and built his early career in high-speed motorsport. During the 1990s, he competed in Formula 1 with teams such as Jordan, Minardi, and Lotus. He later achieved success in the United States, being crowned CART champion in 1997 and 1998.
His return to Formula 1 with the Williams team in 1999 created the space for Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya to join the Chip Ganassi team—the same team with which Montoya was crowned CART champion that year.
The Bolognese driver competed in 44 Formula 1 Grands Prix. He also competed between 2003 and 2009 in the FIA World Touring Car Championship with a BMW 320 specially adapted for him.
Italy mourns a national symbol
“Italy loses a great champion and an extraordinary man, capable of turning every life challenge into a lesson of courage, strength, and dignity,” declared Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “With his sporting achievements, his example, and his humanity, he gave us much more than a victory: he gave us hope, pride, and the strength to never give up.”
His association, Obiettivo 3, dedicated to athletes with disabilities, was one of his most concrete legacies. His wife, Daniela, and his son, Niccolo, expressed their gratitude to “the many people who in these hours have shown closeness and affection, as a testament to the way Alex knew how to convey his powerful message of life.”