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Billy Monger
British racing driver (born 1999) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Billy Edmund Urangen Albert Monger (born 5 May 1999)[1] is a British former racing driver and commentator who raced in British F4 in 2016 and 2017. He now works as a commentator and pundit. He has been referred to by the nickname Billy Whizz, after the character in British comic anthology The Beano.[3][4][5]
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In April 2017, Monger was critically injured in a collision at Donington Park that caused both of his legs to be amputated, one below and the other above the knee.[3][6][5] Up to that point, he had been heavily involved in kart racing all over the UK and the Channel Islands, as well as a successful Ginetta Junior racer before moving into single-seater categories.
After treatment and therapy, Monger returned to competition in November 2017. In 2018, he was awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity.[7] From 2019, he provided analysis for Channel 4 F1.[8] He also competed in the Formula 3 based Euroformula Open championship for Carlin Motorsport, achieving his first single-seater race win at the 2019 Pau Grand Prix.
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Racing career
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Monger first got behind the wheel of a vehicle at the age of six, when his father, a former kart racer, bought him his first go-kart.[9]
In 2016, Monger joined the F4 British Championship with JHR Developments.[10] There he took three podiums and finished 12th in the championship. He remained with the team for the 2017 season.[11]
On 16 April 2017, Monger was severely injured during a race at Donington Park, when he crashed at high speed into the back of Finnish driver Patrik Pasma; as a result, both of his legs were amputated afterwards.[12][13] His left leg was amputated high above the knee, leaving him with a short stump of his thigh. His right leg is longer, being amputated below the knee, and the extra length and use of the joint enables him to drive modified cars. Monger was conscious after the car crash. Pasma was not seriously injured in the crash.[14]
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A JustGiving page was set up by Monger's team JHR Developments to raise money for him, raising over £500,000 in the first 24 hours. Donors included F1 drivers Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo, Jolyon Palmer and Nico Hülkenberg.[15][16]
In June 2017, Monger announced that he would return to competition in November, sharing a Group CN Ligier JS53 Evo 2-Honda with quadruple amputee Frédéric Sausset in a round of the V de V Challenge Endurance Proto at the Autódromo do Estoril in Portugal, as part of a programme with the eventual aim of fielding a team of three disabled drivers at the 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours.[17] In July 2017, Monger made his return to the track when he tested a Fun Cup race car adapted with additional hand controls by disabled motorsport specialists Team BRIT at Brands Hatch, where he regained his race licence.[18]
In February 2018, Monger drove a single seater racing car for the first time since his crash when he tested a BRDC British Formula 3 car for the Carlin racing at Oulton Park.[19] The following month, he announced that he would be racing for Carlin in the opening meeting of the 2018 BRDC Formula 3 series at the same venue.[20] In order to compete in F3, he and his family had to appeal to the sport's international governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, to change their regulations, as they had restricted disabled drivers from racing single seaters on the grounds of safety. The FIA decided to lift the ban in December 2017, allowing disabled drivers to race modified single seaters as long as they could pass safety checks.[9] He finished third at Oulton Park in a car adapted for him:[21] the modifications included moving the brake pedal upwards so he could brake using one of his leg stumps, and replacing the throttle pedal with a lever mounted on the steering wheel.[9]
In June 2018, Monger drove a Formula 1 racing car for the first time when he tested a Sauber C30 at the Rockingham Motor Speedway in Corby. The car had been specially converted to match the hand controls present in his Carlin BRDC British Formula 3 car. In March 2021, he completed "Billy's Big Challenge", covering a distance of 140 miles (230 km) by walking, kayaking and cycling, and raised over £3 million for Comic Relief.[22]
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Los Angeles 2028
Monger announced in March 2025 following his Ironman Challenge he would next target the 2028 Summer Paralympics. He said he was now in "early-stage conversations" about competing at the Los Angeles Paralympics in three years, having been inspired by his work on Channel 4's Paralympic coverage.[23]
Broadcasting career
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From 2019, he provided analysis for Channel 4 F1.[8] He also was the co-commentator for W Series.[24] In addition, he has worked on Channel 4's Paralympic Games coverage and the Parasport presenting team, as commentator and reporter.[25]
A documentary feature about Monger's first Formula 1 drive was shown as part of Sky F1's coverage of the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix. Another documentary about Monger's career, Driven: The Billy Monger Story, was produced by the BBC and released on BBC Three in November 2018.[9] On 5 July 2021, it was announced that Monger would present Billy Monger: Changing Gear as part of coverage of the Paralympics.[26]
He is signed up to be part of Channel 4's 2024 Summer Paralympics presenting team.[27]
It was announced in September 2023 that Monger, along with his sister, Bonny, would be contestants on Celebrity Race Across the World.[28] A family emergency caused them to leave the Race before its finish. In October 2024, Monger participated in 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon in Kona to raise money for Comic Relief,[29] setting a new world record time for a double amputee of 14 hours, 23 minutes and 56 seconds; beating the previous record by more than two hours.[30] He also became the youngest double amputee to complete an Ironman event.[31]
Personal life
Monger is a supporter of Tottenham Hotspur F.C.[32]
In October 2024, Monger was banned from driving for 49 days after he lost control of his car and crashed into three parked vehicles and a wall in Limpsfield in January of that year.[33]
Karting record
Karting career summary
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Racing record
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Racing career summary
Complete Ginetta Junior Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete F4 British Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete BRDC British Formula 3 Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Euroformula Open Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
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See also
- Alex Zanardi, another open-cockpit open-wheel racing driver who lost both legs in a racing crash
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
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