Marco Bezzecchi unveils touching tribute to iconic late F1 driver Alex Zanardi moment

Aprilia MotoGP rider Marco Bezzecchi has unveiled a tribute helmet to late Formula 1 driver and Paralympic gold medalist Alex Zanardi at the Italian Grand Prix.

Zanardi, who competed in Formula 1 between 1991 and 1999, as well as winning the CART championship twice, died aged 59 at the beginning of May.

The Italian suffered life-changing injuries in a crash in Germany in 2001, but continued car racing after this, and became a Paralympic star in handcycling, winning gold medals in London and Rio in 2012 and 2016.

At this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, MotoGP championship leader Marco Bezzecchi is sporting a helmet design in tribute to Zanardi.

The design is a replica of the helmet Zanardi wore during a CART race at Laguna Seca in 1996, where he overtook Bryan Herta at the Corkscrew.

Ironically, 12 years later, Bezzecchi’s mentor Valentino Rossi would carry out a similar move on Casey Stoner at the same corner.

A statement from Aprilia read: “For the Italian Grand Prix, Marco Bezzecchi is wearing a special helmet dedicated to Alex Zanardi, a legendary Italian sportsman and a globally recognised symbol of resilience, not only for his sporting achievements but also for the human values he embodied throughout his life.

“The helmet is a faithful replica of the one worn by Zanardi in 1996, when he overtook Bryan Herta at the Corkscrew corner at Laguna Seca in a move that went down in motorsport history.

“Zanardi, who passed away last May at the age of 59, was an Italian racing driver and Paralympic champion.

“Following a successful career in Formula 1 and winning two CART titles, he was involved in a serious accident in 2001 that resulted in the amputation of both legs.

“Despite his disability, he reinvented himself as a handcyclist, winning four gold medals at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, as well as twelve world titles.”

Bezzecchi heads into his home round at the Italian Grand Prix leading the standings by 15 points from Aprilia team-mate Jorge Martin.

He will start from pole after leading an Aprilia 1-2-3 in qualifying at Mugello on Saturday.