Motor racing-Zanardi transferred to specialist recovery centre

Italian former Formula One driver and Paralympic champion Alex Zanardi has been transferred to a specialist recovery centre a month after suffering serious head injuries in a handbike accident, the hospital treating him said on Tuesday.

Italian former Formula One driver and Paralympic champion Alex Zanardi has been transferred to a specialist recovery center a month after suffering serious head injuries in a handbike accident, the hospital treating him said on Tuesday. The 53-year-old was placed in a medically-induced coma and has had three operations at Siena's Santa Maria alle Scotte hospital since the accident during a road race near the Italian city on June 19.

Zanardi is an inspirational figure in the world of motorsport and Paralympic endeavor, a hugely popular and positive competitor who returned from life-changing injuries with a smile. The hospital said in a statement that Zanardi's sedation had been suspended, allowing him to be transferred.

"The stability of the general clinical conditions and the neurological picture allowed the transfer of the champion to a specialized center for recovery and functional rehabilitation," it said. "Alex Zanardi was therefore transferred today to another facility."

A double Champ Car champion in the United States, Zanardi had to have both of his legs amputated above the knee following a horrific crash in a race in Germany in September 2001. He recovered to return to the track in touring cars before later taking up para-cycling and winning four Paralympic gold medals.

Pope Francis wrote to him last month, calling his life a "lesson of humanity".