Formula 1: Ex-pilot Alessandro Zanardi dies at the age of 59

He was a teammate of Ralf Schumacher

Former Formula 1 driver dies at the age of 59

He also drove in Formula 1 as a teammate of Ralf Schumacher. He lost both legs in an accident at the Lausitzring. Now Alessandro Zanardi is dead.

The former Formula 1 driver and later disabled athlete Alessandro Zanardi has died at the age of 59. This was announced by his family. The Italian lost both legs in a racing accident at the Lausitzring in Brandenburg in 2001. He then started cycling in disabled sports and won four gold and two silver medals at the Paralympics on the handbike.

The family did not provide any further information about the cause of death. Zanardi died suddenly on Friday evening. “Alex passed away peacefully, surrounded by the affection of his loved ones,” they said in a statement.

Zanardi took part in more than 40 races in Formula 1 between 1991 and 1999. He drove for Lotus and Williams, among others, where he was a teammate of Ralf Schumacher. After his Formula 1 career ended, he had a serious accident after a pit stop in a race in the Champ Car series at the Lausitzring. Both of his legs had to be amputated. He was then successful in cycling at the Paralympic Games in London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016.

But the Italian’s ordeal wasn’t over yet: in 2020, Zanardi lost control of his handbike during a charity race in Tuscany and collided with a truck. He suffered severe head and facial injuries. At that time his life was in danger for a long time.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised Zanardi as an “extraordinary person who was able to transform every trial of life into a lesson in courage, strength and dignity.” And further: “With his sporting successes, his role model and his humanity, he gave us all much more than just a victory: he gave us hope, pride and the strength to never give up.”