By: Spencer Neff
May 2, 2026

Two-Time CART Champion Alex Zanardi passed away at age 59 on Friday. Born in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy,

‘After several wins across European junior formula series, Zanardi made his Formula debut in 1991 with Team 7Up Jordan.

During the next four seasons, Zanardi would contest 17 Grands Prix for Jordan, Minardi and Lotus.

Prior to the 1996 CART IndyCar Series campaign, Zanardi would sign with Chip Ganassi Racing. Teamed with Jimmy Vasser, the duo would dominate the series over the next three years.

In just his second race, Zanardi started on the pole at Rio de Janero’s Autrodomo Nelson Piquet (Jacarapegua). He would earn his first victory at Portland that summer, adding wins at Mid-Ohio and a memorable triumph in the season finale at Laguna Seca. That victory was punctuated by what has simply been dubbed “The Pass”, overtaking Bryan Herta in “The Corkscrew” at Laguna Seca.

1997 would see him embark one of the most dominant runs in series history. Over the next two seasons, Zanardi won 12 times and started on the four times after his six poles in 1996, winning the championship in both 1997 and 1998. In 1998, Zanardi would finish on the podium in 15 of 19 races, the most since Al Unser in 1970. Only Mario Andretti (16 in 1968) had more in one season.

His victories in 1997 and 1998 would be punctuated by his signature “donuts”

Zanardi opted to move back to Formula 1 in 1999 after Williams presented an opportunity. By 2001, he would return to CART, driving for CGR race engineer Mo Nunn’s organization. In his return, Zanardi would post a best finish of fourth at Toronto.

At the series’ inaugural race in Germany on the EuroSpeedway Lausitz, Zanardi went off course following a pit stop with 13 laps to go and collided with Alex Tagliani. Zanardi would be severely injured during the crash and lost both of his legs.

Miraculously, he recovered and 20 months later, completed the final 13 laps of that race in a modified ChampCar when the series returned to the Brandenburg, Germany circuit.

He would go on to win four times with BMW as driver in their World Touring Car Championship efforts between 2005 and 2009.

Zanardi would become a world-renowned hand-cyclist as well, earning six medals (four gold and two silver) across the 2012 and 2016 Paralympic Games in London and Rio.

Zanardi’s final major appearance in auto racing would be in 2019 at Daytona International Speedway’s Rolex 24, driving for BMW’s Team Rahal Letterman Lanigan, finishing ninth in GTLM and 32nd overall.

In 2020, he suffered massive head injuries during a cycling accident in his native Italy.

IndyCar1909.com thanks Alex Zanardi for his contributions to the world of auto racing and the tremendous displays of character throughout his life. We offer condolences to his family and friends.

Image By Getty Images