The former Formula 1 driver, two-time CART champion and Paralympic gold medallist passed away on May 1

Alex Zanardi’s story was never just about what he won. It was about what he survived, what he rebuilt, and the way he made courage feel human. Motorsport has produced faster drivers and more decorated champions, but few athletes in any sport ever carried hardship with the grace, humour and defiance that made Zanardi a symbol far beyond racing.

Zanardi has died at the age of 59, his family confirmed, nearly six years after the handbike crash in Italy that left him with life-changing injuries and began the final, private chapter of a public life lived with remarkable force. The Italian, born in Bologna in 1966 and raised in Castel Maggiore, passed away on May 1, a date already heavy in motorsport memory.

“It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Alessandro Zanardi, which occurred suddenly on the evening of yesterday, May 1,” a statement released by his family read.

“Alex passed away peacefully, surrounded by the love of his family. The family sincerely thanks everyone who has shown support in these hours and asks for respect for their grief and privacy at this time of mourning. Information regarding the funeral will be shared at a later date.”

From Formula 1 to CART glory in America

Zanardi’s racing life began in karting before a rapid climb through Italian Formula 3 and Formula 3000 took him to Formula 1. He made his debut with Jordan at the 1991 Spanish Grand Prix and later raced for Minardi, Lotus and Williams, competing across different chapters of an era filled with risk and technical change.

But his greatest success on four wheels came in the United States. Zanardi joined Chip Ganassi Racing in CART and became one of the defining drivers of the championship, winning back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998. His speed, aggression and personality made him a star, while his famous “donut” celebrations became part of American open-wheel folklore.

Then came September 15, 2001, at the Lausitzring in Germany. With 13 laps remaining, Zanardi lost control after exiting the pits and was struck by Alex Tagliani. The crash cost him both legs and nearly his life. He underwent multiple operations and spent weeks in hospital, but the accident did not end his sporting story. It changed it.

The comeback that became bigger than racing

Zanardi returned to competition in touring cars, but his second sporting life took him towards handcycling and eventually the Paralympic stage. At London 2012, he won two gold medals and a silver, producing one of the great reinvention stories in elite sport. He later added further Paralympic success in Rio 2016, becoming not only a champion again, but a global emblem of resilience.

His humour became as memorable as his achievements. Weeks after the Lausitzring crash, he appeared at the Autosprint Golden Helmets awards, stood from his wheelchair and told the audience: “It’s been a long time since I’ve been this emotional. I’m so emotional my legs are shaking.”

It was pure Zanardi: sharp, fearless and deeply human. On June 19, 2020, life turned again. While taking part in the Obiettivo 3 handbike relay, an event connected to the organisation he founded to support Paralympic athletes, Zanardi collided with a truck. He suffered severe head and facial injuries, underwent several delicate operations and spent long periods in hospital before eventually returning home.

From that point, updates were scarce, and understandably so. His family guarded his privacy, while the sporting world continued to hold him as one of its rarest figures.

Zanardi’s legacy cannot be measured only in championships, medals or race starts. It lives in the way he turned survival into purpose and pain into inspiration. He raced with cars, then with a handbike, but always with the same unmistakable spirit.

There are athletes remembered for victories. Alex Zanardi will be remembered for something larger: the refusal to let tragedy write the final line of his life.