Mercedes boss Toto Wolff pays tribute to the late Alex Zanardi

The world of motorsport in general and Formula 1 in particular received the tragic news of Zanardi's passing as the sport was in the midst of the 2026 Miami Grand Prix weekend.

The F1 paddock observed a minute of silence as a tribute to Zanardi ahead of the Sprint Race on Saturday.

As for Wolff, he delivered some words as a tribute to the Italian and said: "In motor racing, we talk a lot about courage.

"Every now and then you meet someone who truly defines what that means. Alex Zanardi was that person.

"As a young racing driver, I admired Alex’s skills behind the wheel. What he achieved, particularly in America, showed what a talent he was. What he achieved after his accident was even more inspiring, though.

"He showed that even when life challenges you, it does not have to define you. That adversity can be overcome with humility, humor, and optimism," he pointed out, referring to Zanardi's attitude after losing his legs in a horrible crash at the Lausitzring CART race in 2001.

The Austrian concluded: "His example will continue to inspire and act as a reminder of what true courage really looks like."

Zanardi raced in F1 in five seasons. In the 1991 season, he took part in three races with Jordan. He raced on once in 1992 with Minardi in Germany.

In 1993 and 1994, Zanardi raced with Lotus and then returned in 1999 with Williams.

Zanardi's best result in F1 was a sixth place in the 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix while racing for Lotus.

Following the loss of his legs, Zanardi went on to become a Paralympic icon. He won multiple gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympics and Rio 2016 Paralympics.