Alessandro Nannini’s F1 career was brutally curtailed when a helicopter accident in 1990 severed his right arm.
He made his debut for Minardi in 1986 and endured a tough season in which his car often let him down. He only saw the chequered flag once, in Mexico, however he distinguished himself with promising performances alongside team mate Andrea de Cesaris.
Adrian Campos replaced de Cesaris in the team’s line-up in 1987. However the story was much the same as the year before, with Nannini only able to show rare flashes of promise, finishing on only three occasions.
In 1988 he got a break when he moved to Benetton. Nannini picked up his first point at Imola then scored a podium finish on his eighth outing for the team in the rain at Silverstone.
Further podiums followed in 1989. Then the cards fell his way at Suzuka when he was running third behind the title-contending McLaren drivers.
Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna collided at the chicane. Nannini moved ahead of both, but fell to second when Senna recovered and re-passed him. However the FIA swiftly intervened, controversially disqualified Senna and sent Nannini to the top step of the podium.
Sadly, he had few more opportunities to take another victory before his career was cut short. He showed up strongly against world champion Nelson Piquet in 1990 and nearly won in Germany. But following the Spanish Grand Prix Nannini’s arm was severed in a helicopter crash and, despite having it reattached, he could no longer race in Formula 1 any more.
He later raced in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM), winning many races in Alfa Romeo’s spectacular 155 machines in the mid-nineties. Nannini continued to race in sports cars in the early 2000s, and his son Matteo Nannini later raced in Formula 2.