Former Williams driver Alex Zanardi remains in a serious but stable condition following an accident in a hand bike relay.

The four-time Paralympic hand cycling gold medallist, pictured, suffered head injuries in a crash with a lorry in Pienza, Italy, on Friday.

The 53-year-old, who drove for the Grove-based Formula 1 team in 1999, underwent surgery at hospital in Siena, and remains on a ventilator in intensive care.

A hospital statement read: “Organ functions are adequate. He is sedated, intubated and mechanically ventilated.

“The ongoing neuro-monitoring has shown some stability but this data must be taken with caution because the neurological picture remains serious.

“The current conditions of general stability still do not exclude the possibility of adverse events and, therefore, the patient always remains in a reserved prognosis.”

Zanardi had both legs amputated after a crash in the American Memorial 500 Cart race in Germany in 2001.