Alex Zanardi, the multiple CART title winner who became a pioneer for disabled drivers across motorsport and went on to conquer the world of para-cycling, winning gold medals at two Olympic Games, has passed away aged 59.
The tremendously sad news comes after the legendary Italian spent years recovering from a serious hand-cycling accident in 2020, which left him with a second set of enormous challenges to overcome in his extraordinary life.
But it was Zanardi’s spirit and determination in the face of adversity that earned him legendary status throughout his career. After starting in kart racing as a teenager, Zanardi quickly moved up the ladder in single-seaters all the way to Formula One, making 44 starts for Jordan, Minardi, Lotus and Williams between 1991 and 1999.
During that decade, he also made a name for himself in North America, winning the 1997 and 1998 CART titles with Chip Ganassi Racing. And it was in that series after the turn of the century that his life would change dramatically, when a horrific incident at the Lausitzring in 2001 left him severely injured and without his legs.
That incident didn’t put an end to his career, though, far from it. He made a triumphant return to the track in 2003 and enjoyed a lengthy stint in touring car racing, competing in cars fitted with groundbreaking hand control systems, winning the 2005 Italian Superturismo Championship and forming a key part of the BMW factory set-up in the World Touring Car Championship between 2005 and 2009.
His relationship with the German marque extended further into GT racing in 2014, when he began competing in the Blancpain GT Sprint series with ROAL Motorsport aboard a Z4 GT3. He also started races in the Italian GT Championship and DTM and took part in both the Spa 24 Hours and Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.
In addition to the success in motorsport after his accident, Zanardi added to his legacy further when he became a world-leading hand cyclist in the 2010s.
As part of his astonishing switch of sport, he won several gold medals at World Championship-level competition and claimed gold and silver medals at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, proudly representing his nation.
To so many though, Alex Zanardi was far more than just a sporting hero, he was a true gentleman. Humble, charismatic, kind, generous with his time; the very definition of a role model.
Ahead of his Rolex 24 start with RLL in 2019, DSC’s editor spoke with him about his life, and the tail end of his racing career. He summed up his motivation, and the “never-ending privilege” of competing perfectly.
“Asking a driver if he wants to drive a car is like asking a cat if he likes to catch a mouse,” he said. “And in the paddock I can’t go any further than a few feet before bumping into a friend who I want to go to dinner with. It’s good to be surrounded by family.”
