“No one wants to finish behind a person with no legs.”—Alex Zanardi



The Italian, who once raced in Formula One for Jordan, Lotus and Williams, will be looking for a repeat of two weeks ago when he won the opening race at Brno in the Czech Republic.

He lost both his legs in a racing accident during the first world sporting event to be staged after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

He was fitted with prosthetic limbs and drives cars using specially-fitted hand controls.

During each race, he is forced to deal with rivals desperate to avoid being beaten by a disabled man.

Alex Zanardi, 42, said: “I have to deal with human nature. No one wants to finish behind a person with no legs.”

“I have not finished a race this year without my rear bumper being smashed. I’ve had 12 races, 12 smashed bumpers. Even when I won two weeks ago, I was still being bumped.”

Zanardi, replaced at Williams in 2000 by Jenson Button, was featuring at a Champ Car race at the Lausitzring in Germany on September 15, 2001 when his world changed.

He was leading in the closing stages when, after a pitstop, he accelerated in the wet conditions and spun into the path of Alex Tagliani. Tagliani was travelling at 205mph.

“Right after the accident, my wife ordered me a BMW 5 Series with hand controls. It was emotional to get into a car. It felt so normal. The same as when I went into a racing car 18 months later.”

He declared: “My goal is to win the World Touring Car Championship and maybe compete in the Daytona 24. But the dream is to be at the Olympics in London. That is what I am building towards.”

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