Alex Zanardi eyes Indianapolis 500 bow
Alex Zanardi is interested in racing in the Indianapolis 500 - an event he never took part in despite his success in the United States
The former grand prix driver, who lost his legs in a Champ Car crash at the Lausitzring in 2001, is about to compete for Italy in the handbike categories at the London Paralympics next month.
And although fully focused on his current ambitions, Zanardi says he is open to a return to racing for the first time since 2009 - either in a top-line series like DTM or in a big event like the Indy 500.
"To be honest at the moment I'm totally focused on the handbike," he told Italian magazine Autosprint. "Obviously, should I be offered a drive, perhaps in DTM, that would be super cool.
"I'm not sure about [world] touring cars: maybe I'd accept immediately, after all I had some great times in the WTCC, but now it would seem like a step backwards.
"Now, this is just a theory, but should someone like Morris Nunn call me, it would be easier for me to do the Indy 500, as there isn't too much braking or tight curves."
Zanardi's Paralympic efforts will be concentrated at race track Brands Hatch, where he will be competing in time trial, road race and team relay events.
Beyond this summer's games, Zanardi says his future plans are open - and that he could even end up doing something totally different rather than racing.
"What I do now is the result of completely random events: more randomness could make me go other ways again," he said.
"But my luck has been to realise how exceptional what I am doing is. A medal in London would be a nice way to end a period of my life, but I've enjoyed every minute of what I've already done to get there.
Previous article
Michael Andretti: IndyCar Saviour
Next article
Baltimore IndyCar: Bruno Junqueira to stand in for injured Josef Newgarden
About this article
| Series | IndyCar |
| Author | Michele Lostia |
The Indycar season that proves Michael Andretti is better than F1 showed
Often unfairly characterised as a car-breaker, judged for his lack of an Indianapolis 500 win and a disappointing part-season of Formula 1 in 1993, Michael Andretti was highly respected by his rivals and only thwarted greater success by ill-fortune. When it all came together in 1991, he was a truly formidable force
How McLaren is striving towards IndyCar's elite
The second year of McLaren's full-time IndyCar return is looming, with Patricio O'Ward and Felix Rosenqvist leading its line-up. Strong team personnel and work behind the scenes means that 2021 could be the year it joins the established elite
The enigmatic legacy of a misunderstood Indy stalwart
Flashes of brilliance amid spells of obscurity have been too common for Marco Andretti. While the third-generation racer has opted to bring his full-time IndyCar career to a close, his peaks and troughs have never been for want of trying
Why American racing's top dog is without equal
A byword for success in business and in motorsport for over 50 years, Roger Penske's importance to the US scene cannot be understated. In an exclusive interview, the custodian of the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway reflects on his journey
The McLaren that rendered its Indy rivals obsolete
When founder Bruce McLaren died in June 1970, his team could have folded. Instead, his loyal band rallied to produce a string of winners - including an Indycar game-changer that won its third Indianapolis 500 five years after its debut
Why Newgarden's best IndyCar season yet wasn't enough
Josef Newgarden feels he didn't put a foot wrong in 2020, yet his finest season-long run of performances failed to yield a third series championship. But in a warning shot to Scott Dixon, Team Penske's team leader has vowed to redouble his efforts in 2021
How Dixon held on in IndyCar's most unpredictable season
Three wins on the trot gave the Chip Ganassi Racing superstar the cushion he needed to hang on for a sixth title in the face of Josef Newgarden's late challenge. Here's the rundown of a typically frantic IndyCar campaign in an extraordinary year
The balancing act required for improving racing at Indy
Calls for an improvement in the racing spectacle at the Indianapolis 500 have been met with small aerodynamic tweaks from IndyCar on superspeedways. But where such high speeds are involved, even minor adjustments require significant planning
