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Alex Zanardi cause of death: What we know about F1, Paralympian legend
TL;DR
Alex Zanardi, the former F1 driver and Paralympic gold medalist, passed away at 59 on May 1. His family announced his death, requesting privacy during this time of mourning.
Key points
- Alex Zanardi died at the age of 59 on May 1, 2023.
- He was a former F1 driver and a Paralympic gold medalist.
- Zanardi won two CART championships in the late 1990s.
- He lost both legs in a 2001 racing accident.
- He won four gold medals in paracycling at the Paralympics.
Mentioned in this story
Alex Zanardi
ParalympicsCARTFormula 1
Alex Zanardi, who was an inspiration to so many after the Formula 1 driver became a Paralympic gold medalist, died at the age of 59 on Friday.
"It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Alessandro Zanardi, which occurred suddenly yesterday evening, 1 May," read a statement from Zanardi's family, per the BBC. "Alex passed away peacefully, surrounded by the love of his family and friends. The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to all those who are showing their support at this time and asks that their grief and privacy be respected during this period of mourning."
No cause of death was listed, but if we hear more, we'll update you here.
Zanardi drove for various teams in F1 in the early 1990s, but then he won two CART championships in 1997 and 1998. In 2001, he suffered an accident at a CART race in Germany in which he had both his legs amputated. He then became a successful paracycling athlete -- he won two golds in London in 2012 and two in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
The world mourned Alex Zanardi on social media
The FIA is saddened to learn of the passing of Alex Zanardi, the former Formula 1 driver, two-time CART champion whose journey from life-changing accident to Paralympics gold medallist made him one of sport’s most admired competitors and an enduring symbol of courage and… pic.twitter.com/CCMjUS7lbh
— FIA (@fia) May 2, 2026
All’età di 59 anni, ci ha lasciati Alex Zanardi.
Simbolo ed ispirazione, Alex ha corso in Formula1 diventando poi campione paralimpico, conquistando 4 ori e 12 mondiali con la sua handbike.
Un terribile incidente gli costò l’amputazione delle gambe poi, nel 2020, un altro… pic.twitter.com/AoMpXDD0oW— Eurosport IT (@Eurosport_IT) May 2, 2026
In memory of Alex Zanardi, A minute's silence will be held on the grid for Race 1 of this weekend's GT World Challenge powered by AWS event at Brands Hatch. |
Q&A
What was the cause of Alex Zanardi's death?
No cause of death has been disclosed at this time.
What achievements did Alex Zanardi have in his career?
Zanardi won two CART championships in 1997 and 1998 and later earned four Paralympic gold medals in paracycling.
When did Alex Zanardi pass away?
Alex Zanardi died on May 1, 2023.
