In November 2012, Zanardi tested a BMW DTM touring car, completing 32 laps of the Nürburgring. He later said that the test had rekindled his interest in motor racing, and in January 2014, it was announced that he would return to motorsport in the 2014 Blancpain Sprint Series season, racing a BMW Z4 GT3 for Ravaglia's ROAL Motorsport team. In 2018, he made a one-off appearance in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, driving a BMW M4 DTM in the Misano round of the series. After qualifying in last place for both races, he finished 12th out of 13 finishers in the first race before placing fifth in the second race in mixed weather: after the race he said that as radio communication between drivers and the pits is banned in the DTM except when cars are in the pit lane, when his team told him of his fifth-place finish he initially believed it was a joke at his expense.
