Italian Press Criticises 'Cursed' Lausitzring

Italian newspapers have reacted in horror to Alex Zanardi's crash in a CART race in Germany and said the new circuit where it happened was "cursed."

Former CART champion and Formula One driver Zanardi, 34, had both legs amputated after a horrific high-speed crash at the Lausitzring circuit on Saturday, the same track where fellow Italian Michele Alboreto was killed in April.

"After the tragedy of Alboreto in April, a cursed circuit," said Corriere dello Sport.

"Cursed circuit: two dead already this year," said La Gazzetta Sportiva, referring also to the death of a marshal who was hit by a car on the same track a week after Alboreto was killed there while testing for the Le Mans 24 Hours race.

Tuttosport reported on the reaction of drivers practising for Sunday's Italian Formula One Grand Prix at Monza.

"At Monza drivers and engineers upset: 'This is a cursed circuit'", the paper said.

News of Zanardi's condition swept across the paddock at Monza, and many Formula One drivers, visibly shaken, did not want to hear the details.

"I don't want to know anything. Don't ask me anything," BAR driver Jacques Villeneuve was quoted as saying by Tuttosport. Italian Jordan driver Jarno Trulli said: "I have not seen the accident and I don't want to see it. My God, it is not possible."

Commentator Marco Evangelisti wrote in Corriere dello Sport: "What happened to Zanardi is atrocious. It could have happened to Mika Hakkinen yesterday (in a crash in practice at Monza), or to Luciano Burti a fortnight ago (he crashed at Spa in Belgium)...less cursed than Alex."

Steve Olvey, CART director of medical affairs, has described Zanardi's condition as "extremely critical" after his accident marred the official European debut of the superfast American motor racing series.

The German race was regarded as a test for the promoters of Lausitzring, a state-of-the-art facility costing 310 million marks ($143.7 million) which was inaugurated in August last year and presented as the safest circuit in the world.