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.

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.