An evening dedicated to Alex Zanardi, his sporting career and the people who shared some of its most important moments. The appointment is set for Wednesday, September 9, at 8:30 p.m. at the Teatro Titano, where “Oltre il Limite: San Marino ricorda Alex Zanardi” (“Beyond the Limit: San Marino remembers Alex Zanardi”) will take place, an event organized in the days surrounding the 2026 San Marino and Riviera di Rimini Red Bull Grand Prix. Admission will be free until seats run out.
The initiative was born from an idea by Diego Pensalfini and fits within the relationship built over the years between Zanardi and the Republic. In 2019, San Marino awarded him the honour of Commendatore of the Order of Sant’Agata, described in the statement as the first such honour the champion received abroad. The evening also comes shortly after the tribute paid to Zanardi in the United States, at the Laguna Seca circuit, marking the thirtieth anniversary of his famous overtaking manoeuvre against Bryan Herta, which went down in history as “The Pass.”
The event will open with remarks from Secretary of State for Sport Rossano Fabbri. “Remembering Alex on our territory means celebrating the greatness of the human spirit even before the achievements of the driver or the athlete,” Fabbri says in the statement. “While the international spotlight shines on our land for the MotoGP challenges, we feel the duty and the privilege of offering a moment of genuine reflection. Zanardi showed us how to chart new paths in life, turning the hardest obstacle into a fresh start. This will be Titano’s affectionate embrace of a friend never forgotten.”
Among the most anticipated testimonies will be that of Niccolò Zanardi, who will bring a personal memory of his father to the stage. A video message from Andrea Kimi Antonelli is also expected, while throughout the evening speakers who knew Zanardi at different moments of his life and career will take part.
Among them will be Filippo, Zanardi’s childhood friend and travel companion from his early days on karts through his years in American CART racing, and Loris Capirossi, a three-time world champion linked to Zanardi since their youth. Also present at the Teatro Titano will be Carlo Costa, the historic voice of the Imola racetrack, who will revisit some episodes from the Bologna-born driver’s career.
The story will also be told through well-known voices from sports journalism. Guido Meda, Marino Bartoletti and Pino Allievi are expected to attend, along with Dr. Claudio Costa, founder of the Clinica Mobile and a figure long tied to the world of motorcycling. Team principal Lucio Cecchinello and MotoGP rider Johann Zarco will also take part.
The evening will also bring together several protagonists of motorcycling’s past. The statement announces the presence of Virginio Ferrari, Luca Cadalora, Vinicio Salmi and Franco Uncini, forming an audience spanning several generations of both two- and four-wheeled racing.
Closing the evening will be a screening at the Teatro Titano of a new version of the documentary film “Voglio correre” (“I Want to Race”). “This is an original work of re-editing and re-adaptation personally overseen by Dr. Claudio Costa, designed to place at the centre of the narrative the intense sporting and human journey of Alex Zanardi,” reads the statement released by the Secretariat of State for Sport.
Organizers have also hinted at a few surprises during the evening, without providing further details. The event “Oltre il Limite: San Marino ricorda Alex Zanardi” is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, at 8:30 p.m., at the Teatro Titano in San Marino Città, with free admission until seats run out.
