Pastor who visited Zanardi: "Sometimes he's awake, sometimes he's not"

Alessandro Zanardi was hospitalized after a serious accident with his handbike on June 19. Since then he has undergone several operations and the latest news was that the former F1 rider would be taken out of his artificial coma. Meanwhile the Italian has also been transferred to another facility for further recovery and it turns out that he is occasionally conscious.

Visit of Father Luca Poli

Luca Poli worked as a clergyman for nine years in the clinic where Zanardi now resides for his further recovery. Poli visited the Italian sportsman and told Gazzetta dello Sport that Zanardi is briefly conscious. "Alex Zanardi was only conscious for a short time and gets tired quickly."

"Sometimes he's awake, sometimes he's not. He was very tired when he was transferred from Siena to here. I could see him for a moment. I haven't been able to grab his hand, because we have to keep our distance from the patients at these times." Furthermore, Poli states that Zanardi has an unprecedented will to live and that this will power can help him in his recovery.

"I see a man surrounded by loved ones. These are two basic things for recovery. One is the group of people who care for him and the environment, the other is what comes from the patient himself. I have always believed that recovery depends more on the will of the person than on the doctors." What the current state of Zanardi is remains unclear, as no announcements are made about it.

However, the location where he is staying gives some indication. His son Niccolò Zanardi says: "The Villa Beretta is home to the best specialists for rehabilitation of brain injuries. We can only hope for the best." In the near future we will also be dependent on updates from the family, as Villa Beretta, unlike the hospital, does not provide updates on the condition of patients.