Alex Zanardi: Ex-F1 driver and Paralympic champion dies at 59

Zanardi returned to motorsport after the accident and won four times for BMW in the World Touring Car Championship from 2005–09.

In addition to his handcycling success at the Paralympics, he became a 12-time world champion and won the men’s para-cycling race at the New York Marathon in 2011.

Zanardi suffered serious head injuries in 2020 when he lost control of his handbike during a road race in Tuscany and collided with an oncoming truck.

Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, said that Alex Zanardi’s “journey from a life-changing accident to Paralympic gold medallist made him one of the sport’s most admired competitors and an enduring symbol of courage and determination”.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that his country had lost “a great champion and an extraordinary man, who was able to turn every trial of life into a lesson of courage, strength and dignity.”

He added: “Alex Zanardi knew how to get back in the game every time, facing even the toughest challenges with a determination, clarity and strength of spirit that was truly extraordinary.

“With his sporting achievements, with his example, and with his humanity, he gave us all much more than victories: he gave hope, pride, and the strength to never give up.

On my own behalf and that of the government, I express my heartfelt condolences and closeness to his family and all who loved him.

“Thank you for everything, Alex.”