Alex Zanardi was a superhero of our times: an F1 driver and then a Formula CART racer. After the accident in which he lost his legs, he became a Paralympic handbike champion with 4 gold medals and 12 world titles. Then came the collision with a truck during a charity relay, the coma, the surgeries, and the silence—until Friday.

Alex Zanardi passed away on May 1 at the age of 59, the announcement came from the family. His death shocked the whole world of sport, and not only.
Today the F1 paddock paid tribute to the man, the friend and colleague (former racing driver with 44 F1 races)  and extraordinary Paralympic athlete (after losing both legs in a 2001 track accident), and an example of resilience and love for life.
In Miami a one minute silence was held before the start of the Sprint and the emotion was overwhelming.

Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali had to pause to catch his breath, before speaking about his friend and extraordinary man and athlete Alex Zanardi.

“It is very difficult to find the right words to describe him, and I don’t want to be banal in saying it, but Alex was truly a good person”, said Domenicali. “For me, that says it all: an example, a reference point, a man of value. A person who, despite having had a terrible fate, managed to react in a unique way, setting an important example for others. This shows that artificial intelligence is sometimes superfluous—in life, what really matters is having a heart of gold.”

Alex Zanardi taught the world never to give up and he will be always remembered.