Zanardi raced in Formula One for several seasons in the 1990s. He was most successful in the CART series. In 2001, he collided with Canadian Alex Tagliani, and Zanardi's legs were severely damaged. Amputation at the knees was necessary.
A few years later, Zanardi returned to the sport with a specially built car and in 2005 he won a WTCC race.
After his racing career, the Italian focused on parasports and handcycling. He won several gold medals at the Paralympics in both London and Rio de Janeiro.
In the summer of 2020, Zanardi collided with a truck during a road race, was seriously injured, and fell into a coma.
"Alex died peacefully, surrounded by the affection of his loved ones," the family said in a statement.
Corrected: In an earlier version, the wrong year was stated in the penultimate sentence.
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