F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Zanardi condition unchanged, no further updates for now

X (Twitter)X (Twitter)
FacebookFacebook
WhatsappWhatsapp

The condition of former F1 driver turned Paralympic gold medallist Alex Zanardi is reported to be unchanged on Wednesday and that he remained in serious but stable condition since being involved in an handbike racing accident on Friday in his native Italy.

After being struck by a heavy vehicle during the Obiettivo Tricolore, the 53-year-old was airlifted to hospital in Siena and underwent three hours of neurosurgery as well as procedures for facial and jaw injuries, and was then placed in a medically induced coma.

Doctors have previously said that a long-term prognosis for his recovery was impossible at this stage. The latest update said that there had been no "substantial changes to his clinical condition".

“Alex Zanardi’s conditions remain stationary, hospitalised in the intensive care unit of the Santa Maria alle Scotte polyclinic in Siena from Friday 19 June," said the medical bulletin.

"The athlete spent the fifth night in hospital without substantial changes in his clinical conditions, as regards the cardio-respiratory and metabolic parameters. The neurological picture remains serious.

“Neuro-monitoring continues and is constantly evaluated by a team consisting mainly of anaesthesiologists, resuscitators and neurosurgeons, supported by a multi-disciplinary team based on different clinical needs.

"The patient is always sedated, intubated and mechanically ventilated and the prognosis remains confidential."

The facility also said that following discussions with his family, it would not be making any further daily updates on Zanardi's condition unless and until there are any major developments in his medical condition.

“After hearing from the family it is not considered useful to disseminate other medical bulletins until there are significant changes in his state of health."

.

Zanardi had 41 Grand Prix outings in the 1990s with teams including Jordan, Lotus and Williams. He won back-to-back CART championships in the US, before losing both legs in a violent accident in the American Memorial 500 CART race at Lausitz, Germany, in 2001.

He survived against the odds and went on to become a four-time Paralympic handcycling gold medallist, and even resumed motor racing in WTCC and DTM using specially adapted hand controls.

FIA president Jean Todt was among those sending messages of support at the weekend, posting on social media: "All the FIA community is supporting you in this cruel moment. Our prayers are with you."

Pope Francis has also added his thoughts and prayers for Zanardi's recovery. In a handwritten letter published by the Gazzetta dello Sport, the Pope said that Zanardi was an example to everyone.

“Dear Alessandro, your story is an example of how to succeed in starting again after an unexpected stop,” the letter began. “Through sport, you have taught us how to live life to the full, making disability a lesson of humanity.

“Thank you for giving strength to those who had lost it. At this painful time, I am close to you, I pray for you and your family.”

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

Hadjar eyes first F1 points after sensational qualifying in Shanghai

Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar is brimming with optimism, convinced that his first Formula 1…

3 hours ago

Leclerc: Qualifying performance reflects Ferrari’s ‘true pace’

Charles Leclerc offered a rather sobering assessment of Ferrari’s current performance level after a challenging…

4 hours ago

Chinese GP: Saturday's action in pictures

Saturday was a day of firsts at the Chinese GP in Shanghai, with Lewis Hamilton…

5 hours ago

Lawson’s confidence crisis deepens: ‘I don’t really have time’

Liam Lawson is finding himself at the center of an intensifying storm as mounting pressure…

6 hours ago

Verstappen sounds alarm as Red Bull trails rivals in Shanghai

Max Verstappen’s Shanghai weekend has sparked concerns at Red Bull Racing, with the four-time champion…

7 hours ago

Hamilton working on ‘master plan’ for Shanghai win

Lewis Hamilton’s debut Ferrari victory in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint event on Saturday hinted…

8 hours ago