Alex Zanardi, former F1 driver and Paralympic champion, dies at 59

• Italian driver lost both legs in high-speed cart race crash

• Went on to win four Paralympic gold medals

Alex Zanardi, the former Formula One driver who lost both legs in a racing crash and went on to win Paralympic gold medals, has died at the age of 59, his family said on Saturday.

Zanardi, from Bologna, made his F1 debut in 1991 and later achieved success in the cart series in the United States, winning back-to-back championships in 1997 and 1998. His life took a dramatic turn in September 2001 when he was involved in a high-speed crash during a cart race in Germany that led to the amputation of both legs.