Anyone remember Zanardi

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Tom
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Joined: 13 Jan 2006, 00:24
Location: Bicester

Anyone remember Zanardi

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Purely out of interest, and because this page was looking a bit thin, I was wondering if anyone remembered one, Alessandro Zanardi? Ex Lotus/Jordan/Benneton/Williams driver. Unfortunatly never scored a point.

I was looking for Brundle's autobiography in a book shop the other day, when I found Alex's book.

Turned out to be really good. Just wondered if anyone remembered the unlukiest driver in F1?
Murphy's 9th Law of Technology:
Tell a man there are 300 million stars in the universe and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he'll have to touch to be sure.

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Scuderia_Russ
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Joined: 17 Jan 2004, 22:24
Location: Motorsport Valley, England.

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Of course we do, he's racing in W.T.C.C. at the moment with a modified B.M.W. He even won a race last year.

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Tom
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yeah, I was standing up throughout that race, especialy when Muller overtook him on the last lap,
Of course we do
didn't realise he was so popular.

I reacon he'll get another win next year.
Murphy's 9th Law of Technology:
Tell a man there are 300 million stars in the universe and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he'll have to touch to be sure.

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Scuderia_Russ
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Joined: 17 Jan 2004, 22:24
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Tom wrote:
Of course we do
didn't realise he was so popular.
The guy is a legend in my opinion... even if his F1 career wasn't so great.

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Tom
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I guess anyone that can still race while half of them is medical waste in Berlin is a legend however sucessful they were.

Interesting nickname though, Pineapple
Murphy's 9th Law of Technology:
Tell a man there are 300 million stars in the universe and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he'll have to touch to be sure.

manchild
manchild
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Joined: 03 Jun 2005, 10:54

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Certainly!

viewtopic.php?t=1477
manchid wrote:Yes he won the Italian superturismo championship after winning both races a week ago (they have two races during one event).

So this was his 3rd victory since the accident and first title.

I decided to mention this 'cause he is ex-F1 driver and the first disabled driver to win a race (and now championship) among non-disabled opponents.

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jgredline
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Location: Los Angeles

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I had the honor of watching him many times in CART and he was simply Majic. to bad he went to Williams when they were junk.
To finish first, first you must finish.

MrT
MrT
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I think Moss was the unluckiest! A driver of that calibre never winning the championship - He was one of the greatest!

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Tom
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What about Peter Collins? If he won the Italian Grand Prix and set fastest lap with closest rival, Juan Manuel Fangio, finishing outside the top two, Collins would take the championship by 1 point.

Against the odds his Lancia-Ferrari set fastest lap and was leading the race when Fangio's Lancia-Ferrari came into the pits with a brocken steering arm. By the time it was fixed, Fangio had lost any chance of winning, so teammate Castellotti took his car.

However when Collins came into the pits for new tires, Fangio's manager asked if he would consider giving his car up to Fangio (along with any chance of the title.)

Increadably Collins did just that.
He later claimed that he thought himself too young to win the title and would get another chance.

Collins was killed at the German grand prix two years later. He never won the title.
Murphy's 9th Law of Technology:
Tell a man there are 300 million stars in the universe and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he'll have to touch to be sure.

manchild
manchild
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Most unfortunate are the ones who died in racing tragedies like Gilles, Ronnie etc.

DaveKillens
DaveKillens
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Alex Zinardi has many fans, myself included. While he was in CART he had a lot of success. But what elevates him above the rest is his unflagging enthusiasm for life, and the positive example he sets for all.
The terrible accident that almost killed him and took away both legs would have grounded almost anyone else. But he has gone on to persevere, and even find success back in racing. He has many, many friends within the racing comunity, and he has earned the respect of most.

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Spencifer_Murphy
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Exactly...Zanardi was always a good driver...just didn't quite get settled with F1 thats all. My friend Riz and I were always perplexed as to why he couldn't hack it. We liked him though cuase he always seemed such a nice guy in interviews and full of zest for what he does.

The accident in Germany just shows exactly what the man's made of. He lost all but one litre of his blood and survived, was told he wouldn't drive again, and now he's out there winning in a modefyed car...he's a real role model.

His experience reminds me of that of the british boxer, Michael Watson. He was fighting Chris Eubank, when Eubank hit him with a good punch, Watson goes down, everyone's excited, but then people get worried cause watson doesnt get back up. He was unconcious, taken to hospital where he slipped into a coma. His family was told he would not live, but theyu asked to keep the life support on, he came oput of the coma. He was told he would never speak again (that part of his barn was damaged)...but he learned to speak again. he was then told he would not walk again....and i think it was 2years ago now (2003/2004) Michael Watson completed the London Marathon (albeit in the slowest ever time). I mean wow...people Like Zanardi & Watson just show us what a person can do if they REALLY want it that bad.

Truely great men.
Silence is golden when you don't know a good answer.

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Scuderia_Russ
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Spencifer_Murphy wrote: His experience reminds me of that of the british boxer, Michael Watson. He was fighting Chris Eubank, when Eubank hit him with a good punch, Watson goes down, everyone's excited, but then people get worried cause watson doesnt get back up.
A friend of mine taped that fight and you can see as soon as Eubank had hit him with the uppercut that it was game over, the poor fella didn't know what day of the week it was!

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Spencifer_Murphy
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Yeah, it was great to watch at the time, cause you just knew...thats it Watson's out...

...But then seeing Watson lying there...not moving...it became not so great to watch. Very scarey to be watching someone on the brink of death.
Silence is golden when you don't know a good answer.

hypermecanix
hypermecanix
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Joined: 26 Jan 2006, 16:32

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I think there is a movie project about Zanardi's life.