From Newsgroup: rec.autos.sport.f1

Very memorable driver Alex Zanardi passes away at age 59

read all about it at https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/obituary-a-hero-of-the-highest-calibre-remembering-the-great-alex-zanardi.38kUEXwdXgUE1TDtLGPnS2

OBITUARY: rCyA hero of the highest calibrerCO rCo Remembering the great Alex Zanardi
David Tremayne remembers his friend, former F1 driver and Paralympian
Alex Zanardi, after the ItalianrCOs death at the age of 59.

May 02, 2026 9:45am UTC (5 hours ago)

Hall of Fame F1 Journalist
David Tremayne
LONGFIELD, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 07: Alessandro Zanardi of Italy poses
with his Gold medal after
A traditional obituary might begin by providing a litany of its
subjectrCOs myriad achievements. But when itrCOs a friend, and when that friend is of the huge calibre of Alex Zanardi, a much deeper and
illustrative portrait of an extraordinary man might be painted by the
random memories that come flooding back.

The sing-song timbre of his voice. His beautiful grasp of English, and
the way he would mesmerise you with stories related in a manner that immediately drew you in.

The first meeting, at Silverstone in early 1993 when he was still a
Benetton test driver, and his suspicion when I congratulated him on
being signed to race for Lotus alongside Johnny Herbert. I explained
-------

Who could ever forget feats such as that superb and dramatic
race-winning pass on Bryan Herta in Laguna SecarCOs Corkscrew in 1996? Or
so many of the other victories where artistry and flamboyance combined
in his spectacular performances. ------

Some people are defined by their injuries in life. Alex never let that
happen, nor set much store by peoplerCOs well-intentioned comments on his bravery coming to terms with his disabilities. He always stressed how
much braver were the children he encountered rCo and inevitably encouraged
rCo whenever he visited rehabilitation centres. -----

The Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 saw him win gold medals
-----

Sadly, on June 19, 2020, he collided with a truck while making a descent
on the Obiettivo Tricolore Italian national road race for Paralympic
athletes -----

He deserves to be remembered as a wonderful friend, a talented driver
and a very special man of immense charisma and boundless courage, whose demonstration of the power of the human spirit will remain an absolute inspiration unparalleled in his chosen sports.
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