Alex Zanardi, Italian motor racing champion and Paralympic gold medalist, dies at 59

ROME (AP) — Alex Zanardi, the Italian auto racing champion turned Paralympic gold medalist whose career was marked by two life-changing accidents, has died. He was 59.

Zanardi’s family announced his death on Saturday, saying he died on Friday evening.

“Alex died peacefully, surrounded by the affection of those closest to him,” the family said in a statement, without giving a cause of death.

In 2020, Zanardi was seriously injured in a handbike accident after crashing into an oncoming truck during a relay event in Tuscany. Zanardi suffered severe facial and skull trauma in the crash and was placed in a medically induced coma.

Almost twenty years earlier, Zanardi lost both legs in a car racing accident.

“Italy loses a great champion and an extraordinary man, capable of turning every challenge of life into a lesson in courage, strength and dignity,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on X.

“Alex Zanardi bounced back every time, meeting even the toughest challenges with determination, clarity and a strength of mind that was truly exceptional,” Meloni added. “He gave us all much more than a victory: he gave hope, pride and the strength to never give up. … Thank you for everything, Alex.”

Zanardi won two championships in CART – 1997 and 1998 – in the United States before briefly returning to Formula one. He returned to America and was racing in Germany at a CART event in 2001 when both of his legs were severed in a horrific accident the weekend after the September 11 terrorist attacks. CART raced alone because the series was already in Germany at the time of the attacks and could not return to the US

After the 2001 crash, Zanardi was in a coma for three days and his heart stopped at least once.

NASCAR driver Max Papis, who knew Zanardi since childhood in Italy, recalled a visit to his friend in the hospital, where Zanardi glanced at Papis’ new shoes.

“He said, ‘Look at the bright side of this. I’m not going to have to spend money buying this for a long time,'” Papis said.

During his recovery, Zanardi designed his own prosthetics – he joked that he had made himself taller – and learned to walk again. He then turned his attention to hand cycling and developed into one of the most talented athletes in the world. He won four gold medals and two silver medals at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympic Games, competed in the New York City Marathon and set an Ironman record.

When he won a Paralympic race in 2012 at Britain’s Brands Hatch circuit, where he had competed as a young rider, Zanardi celebrated the full-circle moment by holding his bike up with one hand as he sat on the track.

“Probably a lot of people see me doing this against all odds to some extent, maybe they’ll say, ‘Damn, if Zanardi did this, I can try. I can try,'” he told The Associated Press at the time. “A good effort always yields results.”

His spirit, will and determination gave the beloved Italian a larger-than-life personality. When he returned to the US in 2019 to compete for BMW at the Rolex 24 of Daytona without his prosthetics, he was the most respected driver in a field that also included F1 champion Fernando Alonso.

Drivers from all over the world sought out Zanardi for photos and were fascinated as he told detailed stories of his adventures in the nearly two decades since many had seen him.

Zanardi used specially modified cars with manual throttle and brake controls to return to racing after the 2001 accident – and well enough to win races in several series.

Stefano Domenicali, F1’s president and CEO, said he was “deeply saddened by the passing of my dear friend”, calling Zanardi “a truly inspiring person, as a human being and as an athlete.”

“He faced challenges that would have held anyone back, yet he kept looking forward, always with a smile and a stubborn determination that inspired us all,” Domenicali added. “While his loss is deeply felt, his legacy remains strong.”

Zanardi’s death came on the same day – May 1 – of that fellow driver Ayrton Senna has passed away in a crash during an F1 race in Imola in 1994.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) said on

Known for his infectious smile and imaginative stories, Zanardi was praised by Pope Francis after his crash in 2020 as an example of strength in the face of adversity. Francis wrote a handwritten letter of encouragement assuring Zanardi and his family of his prayers.

Zanardi’s family added that they “thank everyone who is sharing their support now and asking for respect in this time of mourning.”

The funeral will take place on Tuesday in Padua.

A moment of silence was observed in Zanardi’s honor ahead of Saturday’s F1 sprint race in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Italian Olympic Committee also called for a minute’s silence to be observed at all sporting events in Italy this weekend.

Born in Bologna, Zanardi is survived by his wife Daniela and son Niccolò.

AP Auto Racing writer Jenna Fryer in Miami Gardens, Florida, and AP Sports writer James Ellingworth in Dusseldorf, Germany, contributed to this report.