Alex Zanardi has now officially ruled out a move to the DTM, despite testing a BMW last month.
Speculation that the Italian could return to motor racing following his success in the Paralympics increased after he tried out a DTM BMW M3 as part of the German car manufacturer's 40th anniversary celebrations of its motorsport division in November. But despite holding talks with BMW about a possible tie-up, Zanardi has now confirmed that he wants to remain focused on cycling,and cannot give the commitment it would take to race in touring cars.
"We did have a conversation about taking it seriously further on but I decided it would be a little bit too much for me to be involved full-time for the whole season next year," he said in an interview with Britain's The Telegraph. "It would mean I wouldn't have time for things I'd enjoy – like cycling and fishing with my son – so I decided to wait for the next train."
Zanardi had been unsure about his future plans immediately after the Paralympics, but said a few weeks ago that he would like to defend his gold medals at the next Games in Brazil.