View Alex Zanardi
Alex Zanardi
Brief Bio
By Gregg Leary
DOB: 10-23-66 (41)
Bologna, Italy
1980 (Age 13)…starts racing go-karts
1985: Wins Italian and European Kart Championships
1987: Finishes 2nd to Michael Schumacher in 100cc European Kart Championship
1988-90: Formula 3
1989: Formula 3 team goes bankrupt…but meets Daniela, who worked for the team
1991: Second in Formula 3000…drives Formula one for Jordan in last three races of year.
1992: Test drives for Bennetton…drives 3 races for Minardi, replacing an injured Christian Fittipaldi
1993: Joins Team Lotus….finishes 6th at Brazil (first F1 point)…Serious injury at Spa during qualifying…misses last 4 races of season…and first 4 of 1994
1994: Team Lotus goes bankrupt…without honoring financial commitment to Zanardi
1995: Only income…an instructor at a safe-driving school…tests with Chip Ganassi
1996: CART Rookie of the Year…3rd in points…started on pole in 2nd race…Won at Portland, Mid-Ohio and after the famous “corkscrew pass” of Bryan Herta won Laguna Seca…Marries Daniela…Teammate Jimmy Vasser wins Championship
1997: CART Champion…Won 5 races…6 consecutive Poles
1998: CART Champion…7 wins…won by 116 points over teammate, Jimmy Vasser
Niccolo is born.
1999: Returns to Formula One with Williams…0 Points…dropped out of 10 races
2000: Takes one year sabbatical from racing
2001: Returns to CART with former Ganassi engineer Mo Nunn…new team teething pains…finally leading a race at the American Memorial 500 at Eurospeedway in Lausitz, Germany…spins exiting the pits…broadsided by Alex Tagliani…loses both legs…survives massive blood loss…three heart attacks…stands for only second time on prosthetic limbs to deliver Autosprint award to Michael Schumacher
2002: Drives modified kart in races at Monte Carlo and Bologna…climbs 30-foot flagstand as honorary starter at CART race at Toronto…meets with Alex Tagliani
2003: Completes the 13 laps at Lausitzring…in a modified Champ Car…at lap times that would have put him 5th on the grid. Returns to competitive racing in European Touring Car at Monza with hand controls.
2004: Full season for BMW in the European Touring Car Championship.
Alex’s book, “Alex Zanardi: My Sweetest Victory” sold over 50,000 copies in Germany and Italy
Mario Andretti wrote the foreward…he says, “Alex wasn’t just a good driver, but a great driver. Alex was a factor on every track. He could win on a short oval, a superspeedway, a street circuit or a regular road course. His versatility was testimony to his multiple skills and the fact that he was a complete driver.”
When Mario called Alex after the accident…Alex asked Mario if he wanted to run Daytona with him…and Alex was about to order his prosthetic legs…”I was just about to place an order for legs…how TALL do you think I should be this time?”
Mario says, “Alex’s stories are not about this rotten, unfair thing that happened to him. They are about having the power to adapt to change and about scoring a victory over, rather than becoming a victim of, the accident.”
Alex made model of Indianapolis Motor Speedway for school project (Would he like to race there someday?)
In his first interview after his accident, Alex said: “One of my biggest desires is to once again carry my son (Niccolo) on my shoulders.” (Some call a serious accident or illness a “gift.” How did your accident change you for the better?)
THE ACCIDENT: As Alex puts it…”It happened in an instant. Part of the car stayed with me, and the other part left, with parts of me in it. I can’t remember anything and don’t know if I realized what was happening to me. I must have realized something before fainting…when I looked in front of me and saw no front to the car…and no legs.”
The CART safety team saved Alex’s life…Dr. Terry Trammel put his thumbs in both femoral arteries to help stop the bleeding…one of the safety crew made a tourniquet from his belt…Alex was given last rights by CART’s priest…Daniela kissed him before they loaded Alex on the helicopter and said, “Hold on my love, hold on. You WILL make it. Don’t give up!” Alex was flown to Berlin…almost an hour flight…he arrived with less than two pints of blood in his body…his heart stopped three times during the trip and he had to be resuscitated.
“When Daniela told me that I had lost my legs, it seemed insignificant…I was happy just to be alive.”
Alex was a bit delirious at times, from the medicine. There were three paintings of flowers in his room…Alex argued with Daniela that they were pictures of Tony Kanaan, Jimmy Vasser and Max Papis
Alex’s support group of friends and family stayed with him and helped him through the ordeal. He may want to tell you about how they helped him…but it might get a little long.
After about 20 days 3 year old Niccolo was brought in to see his Dad. “When he ran toward me to hug me, he was surprised to see me without my legs, but he hugged me without hesitation.” Soon after Alex, in his wheelchair raced Niccolo on his bicycle…once a racer, always a racer.
Alex was in the hospital for a month and a half. In his first interview with Carmen Lasorella, an Italian journalist…Alex tried to pay her a compliment…”Do you know you are more beautiful on television than you are in real life?” Oops! He wanted to say the opposite.
When Alex arrived home he saw that Daniela had gotten him a BMW with hand controls. He immediately went for a drive.
Dr. Costa (the famous motorcycle doctor) did surgery on Alex’s damaged legs to prepare for his prosthetic legs…when Alex finally got his prosthetics he promised he just wanted to wear them home…he wouldn’t try to walk on them…he lied, fell and broke his new leg. He started wearing his prosthetic legs by March of 2002.
In July Alex went to the Toronto CART race and saw Alex Tagliani. Alex climbed the ladder to the flagstand and became the honorary starter and flagman.
Alex never cried about losing his legs…one day when feeling sorry for himself he saw a TV show about Wayne Rainey, and what he had accomplished as a quadriplegic. Alex counted his blessings.
When Alex completed the 13 laps in Germany in March of 2003…Daniela and Jimmy Vasser waved the checkered flag.
Alex goes swimming with a floating prostheses he helped develop, skis and does a lot of boating…as well as racing Touring Cars…and spending quality and quantity time with his wife and son.
Category:Auto Racing -> Champ Car