An update from the Siena Hospital where Alex Zanardi was operated on on Friday night, says the Italian remains in serious, but stable, condition.
The Santa Maria alle Scotte hospital in Siena has issued a clinical update on Alex Zanardi’s condition, after the Italian was brought there on Friday evening following a road traffic collision.
He suffered serious head injuries in the collision between his handbike and a lorry, after apparently making an error of judgement while taking part in a national Paralympic race.
The update from the hospital said: “Regarding the clinical conditions of the athlete Alex Zanardi, hospitalized from 18 June 20 in very serious conditions at the Santa Maria alle Scotte polyclinic following a road accident occurred in the province of Siena, the Aou Senese Health Directorate informs that the patient, subjected to a delicate neurosurgical intervention on the evening of 19 June, and subsequently transferred to intensive care, he has stable hemodynamic and metabolic parameters. It is intubated and supported by artificial ventilation while the neurological picture remains serious.”
Zanardi was a Formula 1 driver during the 90s, although his greatest success came in CART racing in America. Involved in a serious crash at the Lausitzring in 2001, Zanardi lost both of his legs and turned to Paralympic racing where he has made his name as a record-breaking athlete. He also returned to motorsport with adapted vehicles, and has raced with BMW in Touring Cars and last year in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
There’s been an outpouring of support from the motorsport world in the wake of Zanardi’s accident. FIA President Jean Todt tweeted his support, saying: “Alex, all the FIA community is supporting you in this cruel moment. Our prayers are with you. You have always been a fighter and you always will be.”
Former racing rival Dario Franchitti said: “My thoughts are with Alex Zanardi tonight. He has defied the odds his whole life, always done the seemingly impossible. When we raced against each other I realised there was never a point in any race that in his mind he was beaten. I’m praying for another Zanardi miracle.”
We can’t believe what happened to Alex Zanardi. Our thoughts and the thoughts of the whole BMW family are with him. pic.twitter.com/9gNpQoc1ds
— BMW Motorsport (@BMWMotorsport) June 20, 2020
