Gian Carlo Minardi “Zanardi, a model for us all”

After winning two golden medals and a silver medal at the London Paralympic Games in 2012, where he competed as a handbike rider, and after winning three world titles in on-the-road competitions, Alessandro Zanardi is now ready to make his return behind the wheel of a GT car.

Four seasons after his last race, the former F1 driver and Cart Champion will make his return behind the wheel of a GT3 BMW Z4 to contest the Blancpain GT Sprint Championship “I’d like to wish Zanardi good luck. He has demonstrated all his value by winning two Golden medals at the last Paralympic games- which is not his sport- he’s now ready to take a challenge again at the age of 47”, says Gian Carlo Minardi.

“It won’t be an easy challenge for him for many reasons, for sure. He didn’t race for a long time, so now he has to get used to drive a race car again. He’s a very determined person and a model for us all. We have to learn a lot from him. He’s the living proof of a strong will; he demonstrates that with a strong will and stubbornness, important goals can be achieved.”

Alessandro Zanardi joined the Formula 1 Championship in 1991 alongside Jordan, taking part in the last three races. Gian Carlo Minardi called him the following year to replace an injured Christian Fittipaldi in the British, German and Hungarian GP “I met him when he was very young. I feel regretful thinking back to those years. If he had had the same physical condition as today, his F1 career would have been different. Unlike in 1992, his physical condition is excellent today. We had a good relationship, but also some problems. It was only my 8^th season in F1 and he was not physically ready at that moment”, remembers the manager from Faenza “I wish him good luck again for his new challenge.”