Alex Zanardi will get one more chance to drive a Formula One car.
The double-leg amputee is scheduled to drive a modified version of the BMW-Sauber F1.06 next month at Valencia, Spain.
"First of all I would like to say thank you to BMW for this opportunity. That's just amazing for me," said Zanardi. "Of course, I know that I won't get a contract with the Formula One team. However, having the chance to drive an F1 racer again is just incredible."
Zanardi, who previously competed in F1 with Jordan, Minardi, Lotus and Williams, suffered life-threatening injuries in a crash during a 2001 CART race in Germany. The accident claimed both his legs, effectively ending his racing career, or so most people thought.
But the likeable Italian driver would fight his way back and now drives for BMW in the FIA World Touring Car Championship, winning on two separate occassions.
"It was rather a joke when he asked me at the beginning of the year, if he could do an F1 test with us," said BMW F1 boss Mario Theissen. "We will give him this chance now, the engineers made it possible. I cannot wait to watch his reaction after the test."
The car Zanardi will drive has been modified with a special brake pedal. To accelerate, he will use a shifting paddle on the rear side of the steering wheel which replaces the conventional throttle.
"Formula One is all about development speed. Therefore, I'm really excited to see what has changed since my last Grand Prix in 1999," explained Zanardi, who has previously driven a modified Champ Car open wheel racer.
"I can call myself a very happy man, as I turned my passion into my profession. Formula One is - and will always be - the pinnacle of motor racing. I can hardly wait for the moment, when the V8 engine is started."