OCTOBER 20, 2003

Zanardi shows good pace at Monza

Alex Zanardi, making his return to motor racing after losing both his legs in a crash two years ago at the Lausitzring, finished an impressive seventh in the European Touring Car Championship event at Monza at the weekend. Zanardi, at the wheel of a specially-modified BMW 320i went off in the first of the two races in a melee at the first corner but finished seventh in the second, only 15 seconds behind the winner Jorg Muller.

"I did well," said Zanardi. "It is good to see what I can achieve at this stage. Today was a wonderful day for me," he said."

The event, watched by 30,000 people, saw a lively fight for the ETC Championship with Alfa Romeo's Gabriele Tarquini beating rival Jorg Muller by just one point after the German suffered from a puncture in the first race, which dropped him out of the points. He came back to win the second but Tarquini took the title by finishing third.