Italian Alex Zanardi was still fighting for his life today, one day after he lost both legs in a horrific high-speed crash at a CART race in Germany.
"His condition is stable but remains critical," said doctor Walter Schaffartzik from the Berlin hospital where the former Formula One driver was airlifted after his accident marred Saturday's official European debut of the U.S. racing series.
Schaffartzik said the 34-year-old Italian had to have both legs amputated in an operation which lasted over three hours on Saturday night.
"He remains in the intensive care unit and we will have to see day after day how the situation evolves," Schaffartzik said. "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 hard and destroyed by Canadian Alex Tagliani's Ford-Cosworth/Reynard.
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. Olvey said on Sunday that the Canadian, who was taken to the same Berlin hospital, would remain under observation for the next 24 or 48 hours but had apparently escaped severe injuries.