Two-time CART champion Alex Zanardi had both of his legs amputated following an horrific accident today in the US Champ Car race at Lausitzring in eastern Germany.
The 34-year-old, driving a Honda Reynard, had completed 143 of 154 laps when the Ford-Cosworth-Reynard driven by Canadian Alex Tagliani bumped into his vehicle, leaving Zanardi in a coma - though he regained consciousness in hospital.
But Cart Series surgeon Steve Olvey revealed the racer had had to have both legs amputated.
Zanardi, who enjoyed much more success on the CART circuit than he did in several seasons in Formula One, was still in a critical condition after being airlifted to a clinic at nearby Doberlug-Kirchhain, while Tagliani, who remained conscious, was taken to hospital at Klettwitz with leg injuries.
Hospital officials released a statement on Zanardi, who won two successive CART championships in 1997 and 1998 recording 12 victories and who was a teammate of world champion Michael Schumacher's brother Ralf at Williams two years ago.
"He has broken both legs and lost a lot of blood but he is able to answer questions and is breathing normally," a spokesman said prior to the announcement that surgeons had been unable to save his legs.
Another former Formula one racer, Italian Michele Alboreto, 44, died in an accident on April 25 on the same circuit while testing an Audi R8 at 320 kph in advance of the 24-hours endurance race at Le Mans.
The American-based Champ Car motor racing series was making its European debut and in a tribute to the victims of Tuesday's terrorist attacks in Washington and New York the German 500 race was renamed "The American Memorial 500".
The race was stopped following the Zanardi incident.
Sweden's Kenny Brack had already wrapped up his fourth win - under a yellow flag - of the season to go top of the American Cart-Series standings before a crowd of 87,689. Italy's Max Papis was second and Canada's Patrick Carpentier placed third.
Brack regained the lead in the championship standings from Brazilian Gil de Ferran, who finished eighth. Brack leads 131-120 with five races remaining.
The CART series continues its European journey, moving to England next Saturday for the Rockingham 500 at the newly built Rockingham Speedway.
AFP