Former F1 driver and Paralympic gold medallist Zanardi dies aged 59

Former Formula 1 driver and Paralympic gold medallist Alex Zanardi, whose career was marked by two life-altering accidents, has died aged 59.

Zanardi's family announced his death on Saturday, saying he passed away on Friday night.

"Alex died peacefully, surrounded by the affection of those closest to him," the family said in a statement without providing a cause of death.

In 2020, Zanardi was seriously injured in a handbike accident after crashing into an oncoming truck during a relay event in Tuscany.

Zanardi suffered serious facial and cranial trauma in the crash and was put in a medically-induced coma.

Nearly 20 years earlier, Zanardi lost both of his legs in an auto racing crash.