(FILES) Italian F1 driver Alex Zanardi who lost his both legs in an accident 15 September 2001 during a kart championships in Germany gestures after a BMW practice session at the racetrack Ricardo Tormo in Cheste near Valencia 25 November 2006. Alex Zanardi, the Italian racing car driver who became a Paralympic cycling champion after losing both legs in an accident, has died aged 59, his family announced on May 2, 2026. Zanardi, one of his country's most loved and respected sportsmen, who as credited with helping transformed the perception of disability in Italy, died on the evening of May 1. (Photo by Jose Jordan / AFP via Getty Images)