zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Double-Amputee Alex Zanardi Will Share A Car For The 24 Hours Of Spa
Double-Amputee Alex Zanardi Will Share A Car For The 24 Hours Of Spa-February 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:44

BMW plans to modify a Z4 GT3 not only to accommodate world's double-amputee Alex Zanardi, but other drivers as well. According to , the team will participate in the 2015 Total 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, but the team has an interesting design challenge to make it work.

How can a team share a car when only one driver has no legs? There are handicapped controls that you can swap into nearly any car to allow a person who doesn't have use of their legs to control the floor pedals using a series of levers that reach up behind the steering wheel. Those take a while to swap in and out, making them a no-go for quick driver swaps. You can (in theory) still use the floor pedals with many of those systems still in place, however, in practice, it's really easy to whack into those levers with your legs. Clearly, the off-the-shelf solutions aren't the answer here.

According to , BMW Motorsport is developing its own special components for braking, acceleration and gear changes that will not only allow the car to be drivable by Zanardi, but will also allow for driver changes to happen in a competitive amount of time.

Motorsports coverage includes news, highlights, rankings and more spanning NASCAR, Formula 1, NHRA,

Alex Zanardi had this to say of the design challenge, as quoted by :

If you first look at it, it seems impossible that a guy with no legs like me lines up together with "normal" drivers in such a highly competitive, tough and prestigious event. But I know that my friends at BMW Motorsport have all the technical expertise and innovative ideas to master this challenge.

Per , Zanardi will also compete in the Blancpain Endurance Series' 1000-km race at Paul Ricard to prepare for the longer race at Spa.

"To compete in the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps will definitely be the next highlight in my career," said Zanardi, as quoted by ."I have been dreaming of racing in an endurance classic like this for a long time, and it is great that Jens Marquardt and BMW Motorsport are turning this dream into a reality."

The 24 Hours of Spa will be on July 25-26. reports that Zanardi will then go on to the Paracycling World Championships in August before attempting his second Ironman World Championship triathalon in October.

Nothing will slow this guy down.

Zanardi's teammates will be named at a later date.

Contact the author at

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
That Autonomous Racing Series Has A Use For Humans After All
That Autonomous Racing Series Has A Use For Humans After All
Lest we mistake them for vaporware, autonomous racing series has a “DevBot” that looks suspiciously like a real car. It has a standardized safety cell for a driver and all. Only that cell isn’t there for what is likely that most terrifying joyride on the planet—it’s for testing and development....
Feb 12, 2026
Racers Finally Storm The Bonneville Salt Flats Again And It Looks Incredible
Racers Finally Storm The Bonneville Salt Flats Again And It Looks Incredible
For the past two years, the famed Bonneville Salt Flats have been without the roar of triple-digit engine noise. This week, thousands of drivers from around the world are back to break records and just go really, really fast. The biggest story to come out of this year’s Speed Week...
Feb 12, 2026
Weekend Motorsports Roundup, Aug. 20-21, 2016
Weekend Motorsports Roundup, Aug. 20-21, 2016
Welcome to the Jalopnik , where we let you know what’s going on in the world of racing, where you can see it, and where you can talk about it all in one convenient place. Where else would you want to spend your weekend? The Olympics are wrapping up this...
Feb 12, 2026
Alexander Rossi Nearly Runs Over Helio Castroneves' Head
Alexander Rossi Nearly Runs Over Helio Castroneves' Head
A bizarre and terrifying crash busted out at the IndyCar race at Pocono today, as this year’s Indy 500 winner nearly drove over triple Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves’ head. Everyone made it out unscathed...just. Watch the crash here, as Rossi pulls out of his pit stall and into Charlie...
Feb 12, 2026
Watch A Big Box Truck Chase A Rally Car
Watch A Big Box Truck Chase A Rally Car
Ouninpohja, Finland is a quiet wood with a lazy dirt road winding through it which turns into a racetrack when the comes to town. Red Bull’s Volkswagen Polo R has won the race here three times. Today, it has some traffic on its tail. Red Bull also sponsors some of...
Feb 12, 2026
Shut Up And Fill Your Ear-Holes With 15 Minutes of Screaming Vintage Race Cars
Shut Up And Fill Your Ear-Holes With 15 Minutes of Screaming Vintage Race Cars
FACT: is the very best thing about Monterey Car Week. You could hang out with a bunch of scowling millionaires ogling Delahayes parked a golf course, or you could go to Monterey Historics at Laguna Seca and see and hear tons of old-school race cars being driven in anger. Let’s...
Feb 12, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved