His name is Alex Zanardi.
For all those who've been watching Formula One racing for quite some time since the 90's would vaguely remember this Italian as a driver of the lesser teams. Hardly noticeable considering the Big Names of his time-- Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Michael Schumacher & Mika Hakkinen.
Formula One racing career:
Jordan 1991
Minardi 1992
Lotus 1993-94
Williams 1999
At the 1993 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, he nearly kissed death.... only to realize, he was going to do that, once more-- this time though, Providence won't be smiling as much on him.
After his 1999 Formula One stint, he rejoined American Champ Car (An Open Wheel Racing Seires) where he had already proved himself a force to reckon with-- winning 2 World Titles. (1997 & 1998)
In 2001 Champ Car race in Germany however, his life changed forever...
In what is described as the most horrific accident in Motorsports' history, his car had a side-on collision with another car and the impact at 199 mph (320 km/h) cleft his car chassis into two. He survived inspite of losing a lot of blood but his fast paced life on track was reduced to one tethered to bed and.... a wheelchair. Both his limbs were amputated above the knee & I guess it is needless to say what might have gone through his mind at that time...
But some people do not let fate dictate terms.... instead they write their own destiny.
Refusing to give-up on life and realizing that behind the steering wheel was a far better place to be than that on the wheelchair, he went through an extensive rehabilitation program and was fitted with prosthetic limbs customized to let him pursue his first love-- racing.
He came back all the more strongly, this time though, on the World Touring Car Championship with a car modified with hand-operated accelerator and brake controls.
He won his first race in 2005 since his accident and has never looked back. Adding few more race wins under his belt in subsequent years, he never let anyone know.. this man is driving with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the throttle & brake.
In 2006, he got a chance to be in a Formula One car again after a gap of 7 years. He was testing a modified hand-controlled BMW-Sauber's 2006 F1 car at Valencia Circuit in Spain.
His words after those emotional four laps...
"When I dropped my visor, the emotions were very heavy. It was pure pleasure being back in a fantastic race car. I do understand this is about much more than just driving a race car. To put a guy with no legs in an F1 car is something very special."
If only there could be a more inspirational success story to tell; one where success is not against the odds of opponents, but that of fate.
Wanted to pay tribute to this legend-- a man whom not many of you may have heard of, and which is exactly the reason I chose to write on him. Just like you all I'm too a Formula One buff. But didn't always know "Winning is Everything"-- more so when the challenge isn't the track, but the inhibitions in your mind.
For all those who've been watching Formula One racing for quite some time since the 90's would vaguely remember this Italian as a driver of the lesser teams. Hardly noticeable considering the Big Names of his time-- Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Michael Schumacher & Mika Hakkinen.
Formula One racing career:
Jordan 1991
Minardi 1992
Lotus 1993-94
Williams 1999
At the 1993 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, he nearly kissed death.... only to realize, he was going to do that, once more-- this time though, Providence won't be smiling as much on him.
After his 1999 Formula One stint, he rejoined American Champ Car (An Open Wheel Racing Seires) where he had already proved himself a force to reckon with-- winning 2 World Titles. (1997 & 1998)
In 2001 Champ Car race in Germany however, his life changed forever...
In what is described as the most horrific accident in Motorsports' history, his car had a side-on collision with another car and the impact at 199 mph (320 km/h) cleft his car chassis into two. He survived inspite of losing a lot of blood but his fast paced life on track was reduced to one tethered to bed and.... a wheelchair. Both his limbs were amputated above the knee & I guess it is needless to say what might have gone through his mind at that time...
But some people do not let fate dictate terms.... instead they write their own destiny.
Refusing to give-up on life and realizing that behind the steering wheel was a far better place to be than that on the wheelchair, he went through an extensive rehabilitation program and was fitted with prosthetic limbs customized to let him pursue his first love-- racing.
He came back all the more strongly, this time though, on the World Touring Car Championship with a car modified with hand-operated accelerator and brake controls.
He won his first race in 2005 since his accident and has never looked back. Adding few more race wins under his belt in subsequent years, he never let anyone know.. this man is driving with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the throttle & brake.
In 2006, he got a chance to be in a Formula One car again after a gap of 7 years. He was testing a modified hand-controlled BMW-Sauber's 2006 F1 car at Valencia Circuit in Spain.
His words after those emotional four laps...
"When I dropped my visor, the emotions were very heavy. It was pure pleasure being back in a fantastic race car. I do understand this is about much more than just driving a race car. To put a guy with no legs in an F1 car is something very special."
If only there could be a more inspirational success story to tell; one where success is not against the odds of opponents, but that of fate.
Wanted to pay tribute to this legend-- a man whom not many of you may have heard of, and which is exactly the reason I chose to write on him. Just like you all I'm too a Formula One buff. But didn't always know "Winning is Everything"-- more so when the challenge isn't the track, but the inhibitions in your mind.
-Rahul
