"We have lost a great champion": Former Formula 1 driver Alessandro Zanardi has died at the age of 59

Zanardi lost both legs in a 1999 crash at the Lausitzring. He then switched to handcycling, winning four Paralympic gold medals, and later returned to racing in the WTCC touring-car series.

Having competed in Formula 1 from 1991 to 1999 for Jordan, Minardi, Lotus and Williams (where he was Ralf Schumacher's team-mate), Zanardi moved to Champ Car. The career-altering crash struck on 15 September 2001 at the Lausitzring.

It was a turning point in his life – looking back, Zanardi called it "one of the most brilliant moments". He had, after all, "survived something that defied all odds. According to science, I didn't stand a chance".

Yet he fought his way back, though misfortune continued to dog him. On 19 June 2020, he collided with a lorry whilst riding his handbike in Tuscany. Suffering severe injuries, Zanardi was in a critical condition for a long time; it was not until a year and a half later that he left hospital.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid tribute, writing on X, "Italy has lost a great champion and an extraordinary man who turned every trial into a lesson in courage, strength and dignity."