Twice-crowned gold medal Paralympic hand cycling champion Alex Zanardi could make a dramatic return to motorsport next year, with rumours of a possible seat in the Indy 500.

Prior to the recent London 2012 Paralympic Games, Zanardi joked with former CART teammate Jimmy Vasser and team owner Chip Ganassi over a place in the Indy 500 line-up for 2013 if he achieved gold this summer.

However, the plans are now being taken seriously, with Ganassi appearing keen to sign up the Italian for a drive next year before another team does so.

Zanardi suffered a serious accident in 2001 at Germany's Lausitzring circuit while competing in the World Touring Car Championship, resulting in the need for the amputation of both his legs.

Doctors did not believe he would survive let alone race again, but Zanardi has proven he is a strong character and it would therefore be foolhardy to bet against this latest dramatic twist of a return to competitive motorsport in the near future.

Speak to the performance, prestige and sports car insurance team at Performance Direct for an expert, professional service and a choice of cover from the UK's leading specialist insurance underwriters.

Posted by Mark Thompson

Like What You’ve Read?

For more articles like this, receive our weekly e-newsletter, including partner deals and all things motoring, register your email below.

Please note: You cannot subscribe to Smart-Motoring unless you put a tick in the checkbox below to indicate have read and agreed to our privacy policy.

Leave a Reply