Zanardi and BMW part ways

Alex Zanardi will not be racing with BMW this year, after confirming an end to their relationship.

With BMW’s reduced programme in the WTCC, it looked possible that Zanardi would run for the ROAL team in Italian Superstars, but this now seems unlikely – with economic conditions cited as the key factor.

Speaking on his site, Alex says:
“I am sorry to tell you that my relation with BMW has definitively interrupted and every chance to take part in any championship with a car of the Bavarian brand went with it.

What a shame. My relation with the German manufacturer seemed to be indissoluble, nevertheless, this is what happened in a period with the economic downturn shaking daily many of the certainties that apparently regulated the world economy and it is certainly not the worst thing ever when compared to the situation of all those people that have really been knocked out by this crisis.

Despite being extremely sorry for having to break up an association that awarded both sides with great satisfactions, I understand that these things happen. Still, during life it might also happen that when you lower your eyes to look for something you lost you end up finding something else worth collecting.”

Alex does indicate however, that he still plans to continue racing, but recognises it may be too late to find a race seat in the short term:
“…I think that now it is really late to find shortly a valid agonistic alternative, I surely do not intend to hang up my racing helmet and I am hopeful that very nice cars will still be present in a more or less near future of mine.”