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5d ago

Alex Zanardi, Ex–F1 Driver and Paralympic Champion, Dies at 59

Global tributes underscore a legacy of resilience forged after catastrophic crashes.

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Italian Race car driver Alex Zanardi crosses the finish line in the Handcycle Division during the 2007 ING New York City Marathon in New York November 4, 2007. REUTERS/Chip East/File Photo
Italian BMW 320i racing car driver Alex Zanardi sits in his car before the start of a LG Super Racing car event at the Monza race track October 19, 2003. REUTERS/Giampiero Sposito GS/File Photo

Overview

  • He died suddenly on Friday evening, May 1, his family said, who added that he passed peacefully and asked for privacy.
  • The family did not disclose a cause of death and said funeral details will be shared later.
  • After racing in Formula 1 in the 1990s, he won back‑to‑back CART championships in 1997 and 1998, with CART then the premier U.S. open‑wheel series.
  • A 2001 CART crash led to the amputation of both legs, yet he returned in adapted race cars and later won four Paralympic handcycling golds and two silvers.
  • He suffered severe head injuries in a 2020 handbike crash in Tuscany, and tributes today include statements from the FIA, F1 president Stefano Domenicali, and Italy’s prime minister, with Italian sport planning moments of silence this weekend.