Overview
- The family announced Saturday that Zanardi died Friday at age 59 and said he "fell asleep peacefully" surrounded by relatives.
- Formula 1 marked his passing at the Miami Grand Prix with memorial stickers on cars and a minute of silence before the sprint.
- Zanardi lost both legs in a 2001 Champ Car crash at Germany’s Lausitzring, then returned to racing in adapted touring cars and later won four Paralympic handbike golds and two silvers.
- He sustained severe head and facial injuries in a 2020 charity handbike crash in Tuscany and underwent long hospital care and rehabilitation in the years that followed.
- Leaders and teams hailed his resilience, with Italy’s prime minister, Formula 1 officials, and BMW praising a figure whose story inspired athletes and fans well beyond motorsport.