GP: Spain
Date: 29 September 1991
Winner: Nigel Mansell - Williams-Renault
20th time in qualifying, ninth in the race.
Those were the stats from Alessandro Zanardi's F1 debut, called up by Eddie Jordan to replace the Brazilian Roberto Moreno.
His Formula 1 career was nothing to write home about, with 44 races and just one point.
Things went better in Indycar: 15 wins, 10 poles from 1996 to 2000, and then the crash that still hurts today. The Lausitzring, 15 September 2001.
Alex had both legs amputated but survived and rebuilt his life. He raced and won in the World Touring Car championship and put his heart and soul into handbike racing.
He emerged with four Paralympic gold medals in London 2012 and Rio de Janeiero 2016, as well as 12 World Championship wins between 2011 and 2019.
He also had the determination to motivate thousands of people with difficulties and to inspire us, mental strength fuelling physical strength.
A strong friend along the road. Then he suffered another serious accident on 19 June 2020, when his handbike collided with a truck in Pienza.
But of course, Alex didn't give up and every day we can learn from his valuable lessons.
In 2025 Pirelli will hit the 500 F1® Grands Prix mark during the season.
Legacy of Speed series looks back at the fifty most significant Grands Prix from Pirelli's time on the F1 World Championship trail.
