Alex Zanardi completes test at Vallelunga in preparation for his DTM debut

Alessandro Zanardi completed a two-day test at Vallelunga to get to grips with the adapted BMW M4 DTM which he will race for his series debut at Misano.

The Italian completed 294 laps in two days in order to adapt to the DTM car, as well as checking that the modifications made to accommodate his physical needs functioned properly.

“The test was great; all went really well and we are heading in the right direction. A lot is new, but I am coming to terms with it lap by lap. Thanks a lot to BMW, we’re getting ready for Misano,” said the 51-year-old.

Zanardi raced at the 2015 Spa 24 Hours at the wheel of a BMW Z4 GT3, which he shared with DTM drivers Bruno Spengler and Timo Glock. Back then, the Italian used a special brake that was attached to his prosthetic leg.

For Misano, however, Zanardi will use a hand operated braking system, the biggest innovation for both BMW and the Italian.

“The progress from the previous system to the current one is massive,” said Zanardi. “Driving a race car like the BMW M4 DTM is physically very demanding. For me, it would be far more strenuous if I were to continue to brake with my prosthesis as I have done up to now.

“I admit that it felt very strange to have a completely empty footwell with no pedal box in front of me the first time I pulled out of the garage. I thought: ‘That’s strange!’ But I have to say, the whole system worked very intuitively for me. I am getting along excellently with it.”

The previous braking system caused Zanardi to sweat too much under his prosthetic leg, leading to him tiring more quickly and losing feeling in order to correctly apply braking pressure. As part of Zanardi’s ‘Road to Daytona’, with the Italian set to compete at the 2019 Daytona 24 Hours, BMW Motorsport engineers have developed a more efficient solution.

“It is completely different to what I was used to,” added the 51-year-old. “I won’t be faster, but I would have never accomplished all I did at the two days in Misano with the old system. I completed so many laps with a car that I had never driven before, the BMW M4 DTM, and after not having raced for nearly two years. That would just have been impossible with the solution I had before. It’s like I am, from a physical point of view, a different driver.”

Zanardi is looking forward to his series debut at Misano because of the challenge it represents to race in a very competitive championship: “It is going to be a huge event for me – and probably one of the most difficult tasks I have ever faced in my motor racing career.

“In my opinion, the DTM is currently the most fiercely-competitive racing series in the world and the one with the best field – even better than Formula 1. I will try to finish ahead of at least one car. Let’s see whether I manage it. It is going to be tough, but very interesting.”

Misano will host the seventh round of the season from the 24th to the 26th of August.