Formula 1

Zanardi in intensive care after head injury surgery

by Matt Beer
1 min read

Alex Zanardi has been moved to intensive care following surgery on the serious head injury he suffered in a handbike crash in Italy on Friday.

The 1997/98 CART IndyCar champion, ex-Formula 1 driver and three-time Paralympic Games gold medal winner was participating in a relay event in Siena when he crashed and came into contact with a truck on the other side of the road.

He was taken to hospital by helicopter and underwent neurosurgery that lasted for just under three hours.

A statement from the Santa Maria alle Scotte Polyclinic where Zanardi is being treated underlined that his condition remained “very serious” and that the prognosis was currently unclear.

A further update is expected during Saturday morning.

Zanardi had been taking part in Friday’s event has part of his preparations for his third Paralympic Games, which have been postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He had announced earlier this week that he would race for BMW in an Italian GT event at Monza in November with the Ravaglia team with which he made his successful motorsport comeback following the 2001 CART accident in which he lost both his legs.

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