Zanardi in serious but stable condition following surgery

Alex Zanardi remains in a serious condition after what’s been described by doctors as a “delicate neurosurgical intervention” following a road accident on Friday.

The 53-year-old former F1 driver and multiple Paralympic champion suffered severe head and facial injuries in a collision with a truck while competing in a handbike event.

An update issued by Siena’s Santa Maria alle Scotte hospital where he is being treated said Zanardi is being artificially ventilated in intensive care but has “stable haemodynamic and metabolic parameters”. The neurological picture remains serious, the update added, with Zanardi's doctors later saying that his prognosis was unclear.

"The numbers are good, although it remains a very serious situation," said Head of Neurosurgery Dr Giuseppe Olivieri, as quoted by AP.

“We won’t see what his neurological state is until he wakes up — if he wakes up. Serious condition means it’s a situation when someone could die. Improvement takes time in these cases.

“Turns for the worse can be sudden. The operation went according to the plan. It’s the initial situation that was very serious.”

Best wishes have continued to pour in for Zanardi from around the racing and sporting world, with the hashtag #ForzaAlex trending on social media in his honour.