Zanardi put into coma, still critical

Italian Alex Zanardi was in a coma on Sunday, one day after he lost both legs in a horrific high-speed crash at a CART race in Germany.

"He has been put in an artificial coma," a spokeswoman for the Berlin hospital where the Formula One driver was being treated said.

"His condition can no longer be described as extremely life-threatening but remains critical," she added.

Doctor Walter Schaffartzik said the 34-year-old Italian had to have both legs amputated in an operation which lasted over three hours on Saturday night, shortly after his accident marred the official European debut of the U.S. racing series.

"He remains in the intensive care unit and we will have to see day after day how the situation evolves," Schaffartzik told Reuters. "There's not much more we can say at the moment."

Steve Olvey, CART director of medical affairs, said Zanardi had also suffered several pelvis fractures which did not require surgery but what worried the doctors the most was that he had lost a lot of blood.

Zanardi, who survived a serious Formula One crash in 1993, had just come out of the pits after 142 laps in the 154-lap race at the Lausitzring oval when his Honda/Reynard was struck and destroyed by Canadian Alex Tagliani's Ford-Cosworth/Reynard.

SPUN ACROSS

The Italian, a former Formula One driver for the Williams, Jordan, Minardi and Lotus teams, spun across the grass and into the path of Tagliani, who was driving at an estimated 320 kph and could not avoid him.

Both cars ended up crashing into a wall and the race was stopped.

Tagliani's condition was far less serious. The Canadian sustained only light injuries and was discharged from hospital on Sunday afternoon after being kept in overnight for observation, Schaffartzik said.

Zanardi, who was out of Formula One for nine months after his 1993 accident in a Lotus during practice for the Belgian Grand Prix, returned to CART racing this season after a two-year absence.

The Italian embarked on his cart career in 1996. After winning the Rookie of the Year award, he won the championship in 1997 and 1998, becoming only the third driver in the history of the series to claim back-to-back titles.

So impressed by his results were the Williams team that they hired him for the 1999 season but his return to Formula One turned out to be disappointing and he decided to give CART another chance.

Zanardi was leading Saturday's race before his final fuel stop, after which he spun on cold tyres and was hit by Tagliani's car.

The race was later restarted after debris from both cars was removed from the track and won by Swede Kenny Brack, driving a Ford Cosworth/Lola. Brack knocked Brazilian Gil de Ferran off the top of the CART standings with his victory.

AMERICAN MEMORIAL

Lausitzring and CART officials decided the race at this new circuit some 145 kms south of Berlin should go ahead despite Tuesday's terror attacks in the United States. Security was reinforced and most of the festivities scheduled around the race were called off.

The name of the event was changed from the German 500 to the American Memorial as a mark of respect for the victims of the attacks in the United States.

The German race was regarded as a test for the promoters of Lausitzring, a state-of-the-art facility costing 310 million marks ($143.7 million) which was inaugurated in August last year and presented as the safest circuit in the world.

Former Formula One driver Michele Alboreto was killed at the track last April during a testing session for the Le Mans 24-hour classic. German investigators said a burst tyre was the cause of his fatal crash.

A few days later, a steward died after being hit by a car during a training session for a German sports car race.

"This is a normal race accident," Lausitzring manager Hans-Joerg Fischer said of Saturday's crash. "We all deeply regret it but I don't think it is right to say that this circuit is placed under a bad sign."

Saturday's race was the first of two CART events scheduled in Europe. The second one takes place next Saturday at Rockingham in Britain.