Zanardi transferred back to intensive care following recovery setback

Alex Zanardi has been forced back into an intensive care unit just three days after it appeared as if the former Formula 1 driver was making progress.

Earlier this week Zanardi was transferred from the Santa Maria alle Scotta hospital in Siena, where he had been treated for severe head and facial trauma following a handcycling accident on June 16, to a specialist rehabilitation centre, the Villa Beretta, 13 miles east of Como

That followed a period of stabilisation in his condition that allowed the 53-year-old's sedo-analgesia programme to be discontinued.

On Friday, however, Zanardi suffered a setback which has resulted in him being transported to the intensive care unit at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan.

A bulletin from Claudio Zanado, health director of the Valduce Hospital in Como, read: "Today, due to the instability in the clinical condition of patient Alex Zanardi, and after appropriate consultation with Dr Franco Molteni, head of the Villa Beretta Department of Specialist Rehabilitation, where the patient had been hospitalised since July 21, and the reference specialists, the transfer of the athlete was ordered.

“Adequate means and adequate assistance were used at the Intensive Care Department of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan.

"As of now, it has been specified that no further information on the case will be released."

Before you go...

F1 axes all four races in the Americas; Nürburgring, Portimão, Imola added to calendar

Russell "100 per cent" in same class as Williams champions Mansell, Hill, Jones

Related

More F1 news

Latest F1 news

F1 champion reveals what went through his mind during horror crash that almost took his life

• 48 minutes ago

F1 News Today: Ferrari poach Mercedes star, Toto Wolff admits 'sometimes we get it wrong'

• 2 hours ago

McLaren F1 champion urges team to not 'rock the boat' with Max Verstappen signing

• Today 13:57

David Coulthard takes aim at 'sensitive' FIA in scathing attack on 2026 F1 regulations

• Today 12:27

Max Verstappen admits his priorities have changed as F1 star makes heartbreaking admission

• Today 10:55

FIA announce update to F1 race start times for rest of 2026 season

• Today 09:42