Zanardi finished with surgery

The Italian lost both legs when Alex Tagliani smashed into his spun car at an estimated 190mph at the German oval. After several operations, doctors performed their final work on his amputated limbs last Friday to inspect and clean the injuries.

The accident cast a shadow over last weekend's race at Britain's Rockingham Motor Speedway, although the Champ Car paddock was relieved to hear that Zanardi had come out of his induced coma on Wednesday. He is progressing well and is said to have taken the news of his injuries well, saying that the main thing is that he still had his wife and son by his side.

The Italian's Mo Nunn Racing team-mate Tony Kanaan admitted that the accident and the terrorist attacks on America have made the European CART races tough to live through.

"I'm just glad to get this weekend - this long road trip - over with," said Kanaan. "It's all seemed like a bad dream and I wish we could just wake up tomorrow and find out that it all didn't happen. First the big problems back home, and then the big accident with Alex."

Like all the drivers, Kanaan wore a pineapple sticker on his crash helmet similar to the one Zanardi wore. He flew to Germany following the Rockingham race on Saturday night to visit his friend in the Klinikum Berlin-Marzahn hospital.

"I can't wait to go and see Alex," said Kanaan before the race. "He needs his family and friends right now, and I want him to know I am definitely his friend. I told him yesterday that he's a two-time champion, and now he has the chance to win the championship of his life. After that, it will be good to get back home and think about everything that's happened in the last couple of weeks. Life sure is a lot different now than it was when we left home two weeks ago!"

Zanardi is due to be released from hospital in a matter of weeks.