Alessandro Zanardi is dead. This news shook the sporting world on Saturday morning. The former racing driver died on May 1, 2026 in Padua. Ex-Formula 1 driver Mark Webber remembers the Italian.
His story is inspiring. Several severe strokes of fate shook his life, but with his incredible resilience and zest for life, he always fought his way back - until Alessandro Zanardi was no longer able to do so on May 1, 2026 at the age of 59.
On September 15, 2001, Zanardi's life changed. During a Champcar race (now IndyCar) at the Lausitzring, the Italian, who competed in 41 Formula 1 races in the 1990s, lost both legs when a competitor crashed into him.
The Italian fought his way back onto the race track and was back in touring car racing in a car modified for him just two years after his accident. He reached the pinnacle in 2005 with victory in Oschersleben as part of the World Touring Car Championship.
Mark Webber: "He inspired people"
In 2007, he began a new career on a handbike and won two gold medals at the Paralympics in London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016. In 2020, he crashed into a truck during a handbike race in Italy and had to fight his way back after several operations. 18 months after the accident, he was able to leave the game and live with his family.
"He had a great passion," says former Formula 1 driver Mark Webber in an interview with blue Sport. "He inspired people with similar handicaps with the way he approached life after his accidents."
Zanardi was a very strong personality for motorsport and the Australian will never forget him. "It's a sad day for us. We wish him the best so that he can rest in peace up there and send our condolences to his family and friends."
