OCTOBER 31, 2001

Zanardi leaves hospital in Berlin

ALEX ZANARDI has left hospital in Berlin six weeks after the accident at the Lausitzring CART event in which he lost both his legs. Zanardi will now undergo a long program of rehabilitation to get used to his new life. The plan is for the 35-year-old Italian to have two artificial legs and he is hoping to be able to walk with these within a year.

"I will always be very grateful to the doctors who saved my life," Zanardi told the media at the hospital. "Now my goal is to be able to walk again. I hope it will be in about a year. That is my new challenge."

Zanardi has not yet ruled out the possibility of racing again.

"Motor sport is an important part of my life," he admitted. "Perhaps I will drive in races again some day."