Zanardi leaves Berlin hospital

The 35-year-old Italian was discharged from hospital in Berlin today, flying to Nice with wife Daniela and their three-year-old son Niccolo. He suffered terrible leg injuries in his crash, which occurred when his Mo Nunn Racing Reynard spun leaving the pits and was struck at high speed by Alex Tagliani's Team Player's car.

After losing 70 percent of the blood in his body, Zanardi required 14 separate operations since the crash. He will be evaluated at a clinic in his hometown of Bologna, Italy, for prostheses later this week to enable him to learn to walk again.

"I feel well enough to return and begin a new life at home," he said. "It was a huge crash, horrible. I'm happy that I'm still alive and I try not to think about what I lost.

"Life is marvelous. I am lucky to be alive, and I will do everything in order to make the best from it. I feel full of energy. Now my target is to be able to run again, and my challenge is to be able to do that in around one year.

Zanardi says he has not ruled out a return to the sport in the future.

"Motorsport is an important part of my life," he added. "Perhaps I will drive in races again some day, I don't really know."