When the DTM series rolls onto Italian tarmac, for the first time since 2010, there will be an Italian on the starting grid too.
Alex Zanardi will have his DTM race debut in a BMW M4 DTM, with special hand controls.
The 51 year-old Italian lost both legs in a terrible accident at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz in 2001 in Champ Car, but went on to compete the remaining 13 laps on the oval circuit in a modified Champ Car, when the series returned to the track in 2003.
He then went on the race 5 seasons in the World Touring Car Championship for BMW, where he already took his debut win at Oschersleben in his first season. He celebrated the win with his traditional perfect donuts – that he was able to do not only in a Champ Car, but also in a BMW 320i.
His focus then moved more and more towards hand cycling, where he has won several Olympic Gold Medals since.
Photo: BMW Motorsport
He did a few selected races in the Blancpain Sprint Series, and participated in the Spa 24 Hours in 2015, sharing a car with Bruno Spengler and Timo Glock.
In January 2019 he will be competing in the Daytona 24 Hours for BMW, which will get a lot of headlines as well.
He has tested a DTM car back in 2012, and drove DTM Taxi at the DTM finale at Hockenheim in 2015.
The preparations already start this weekend at Hungaroring where Zanardi will attend the race at BMW, when the third round of the DTM 2018 is run. He will follow the team outside a car, learning about the procedures in DTM etc.
The races at the Italian circuit Misano will be run on 25-26 August, and will be starting at 22.00 local time, making it the first night race in the DTM history.
