A special commemorative stamp and a memorial statue to be placed beside the bust of Ayrton Senna. San Marino pays tribute to Alex Zanardi, announcing two initiatives designed to leave a lasting mark on the Republic. The news came last night, September 9, during “Oltre il Limite” (“Beyond the Limit”), an event held before a packed Teatro Titano and dedicated to the sporting and personal story of the former racing driver.
The announcement was made by the Secretary of State for Sport, Rossano Fabbri, alongside the deputy director of San Marino’s State Philatelic and Numismatic Office, Isabella Bizzocchi. “Zanardi continues to teach us that the strength of the human spirit knows no boundaries,” Fabbri said. “For this reason, San Marino wanted to make a concrete and lasting gesture: alongside the issue of a special stamp dedicated to him, we will create a commemorative statue that will be placed beside the bust of Ayrton Senna. In the coming months, an official ceremony will seal this tribute to a giant of sport and of life.” The initiative also won praise from the evening’s creator and organiser, Diego Pensalfini.
The evening retraced Zanardi’s story through memories, testimonials and audiovisual contributions. Among these was a message sent by Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who recalled his first steps in the pits following his father and described the Bologna-born driver as a role model for new generations. In the audience was Anna, Alex’s mother, while on stage his son Niccolò Zanardi painted a personal portrait of his father. The evening was rounded out by memories shared by Loris Capirossi and childhood friends, from early go-kart challenges to his younger years.
Numerous figures from the world of motorsport also attended the event at the Titano. Guido Meda retraced the impact of Zanardi’s sporting achievements, while the evening was also attended by, among others, Lucio Cecchinello, Johann Zarco, Virginio Ferrari, Vinicio Salmi and Loris Reggiani.
One of the evening’s central moments was the screening of a revised version of the docufilm “Voglio correre” (“I Want to Race”), re-edited for the occasion by Dr. Claudio Costa. “Alex is a friend of mine,” Costa explained, “who had the merit, the virtue, of reshaping the contours of my soul as both a doctor and a man. A friendship steeped in love that has made me better, in my life and in my profession.”
The evening was brought to a close by journalist David Oddone, who hosted the event. “Overcome with emotion and with a lump in his throat, his voice broke. It was impossible for him to utter any formal words,” reads the statement from the Secretary of State for Sport. The audience at Teatro Titano then greeted the tribute to Zanardi with a long standing ovation.
The tribute will now continue beyond the evening at the Titano. In the coming months, San Marino will officially dedicate to Alex Zanardi both the commemorative stamp and the monument, which will be placed alongside the one dedicated to Ayrton Senna.
