Formula 1 paid tribute to Alex Zanardi after the confirmation of his death at 59 years old. During the Miami GP weekend, several tributes remembered the trajectory of the former Italian driver, marked by overcoming challenges both on and off the track.
Among the most emotional tributes was that of former driver and current commentator Martin Brundle, who shared the grid with Zanardi in the early 1990s. The Sky F1 commentator described the Italian as ‘the most wonderful character and the most extraordinary individual’.
Brundle recalled the serious accident Zanardi suffered in 2001 in Germany, when the Italian lost both legs and suffered massive blood loss. According to him, at that moment many believed the former driver would not survive.
“I remember we were in Monza and heard that he had not made it, but he managed to survive,” Brundle said. The Briton highlighted the Italian’s impressive recovery, who returned to racing a few years after the accident.
Zanardi resumed his career in touring car categories, using adapted cars and leg prostheses, participating in European and world championships. Later, he found a new challenge in handcycling, a discipline in which he won gold medals at the Paralympic Games.
Brundle highlighted the Italian’s resilience throughout his life: “He had an untiring competitive nature against all odds,” the Briton said, recalling the impact Zanardi had within the sport.
The commentator also mentioned the second serious accident the Italian suffered during a charity race with his handbike, when he was involved in an accident with a truck on a road. Since then, Zanardi has appeared much less publicly in recent years.
“We haven’t had much news from him recently, and in that respect, no news could not be a good thing,” Brundle concluded.
