Billy Monger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Billy Monger |
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Monger in 2018
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| Nationality |  British |
| Born | 5 May 1999 Charlwood, Surrey, England |
| Euroformula Open Championship career | |
| Debut season | 2019 |
| Current team | Carlin |
| Car no. | 31 |
| Starts | 20 (20 entries) |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 2 |
| Poles | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Best finish | 9th in 2019 |
| Previous series | |
| 2018 2016–2017 2017 |
BRDC Formula 3 F4 British Championship Ginetta Junior Championship |
Billy Monger (born 5 May 1999) is a British former racing driver. He is also a well-known sports commentator and expert. People sometimes call him Billy Whizz, which is the name of a fast character from The Beano comic book.
In April 2017, Billy had a very serious accident during a race. This accident caused him to lose both of his legs. Before this, he was a very successful kart racer and also competed in Ginetta Junior races. He then moved on to single-seater racing cars.
After his accident, Billy worked hard on his recovery and therapy. Amazingly, he returned to racing in November 2017. In 2018, he received a special award called the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award. This award celebrates outstanding achievements when someone faces big challenges. Since 2019, he has been a commentator for Channel 4 F1. He also raced in the Euroformula Open championship and won his first single-seater race at the 2019 Pau Grand Prix.
Contents
Billy's Racing Journey
Billy Monger started his racing journey very young. He was only six years old when his dad, who used to race go-karts, bought him his first one.
Early Races
In 2016, Billy joined the F4 British Championship with a team called JHR Developments. He finished on the podium three times and ended up 12th in the championship. He stayed with the same team for the 2017 season.
The Accident and Recovery
On 16 April 2017, Billy had a very serious crash during a race at Donington Park. He crashed into another car at high speed. Because of this accident, doctors had to remove both of his legs. One leg was removed above the knee, and the other below the knee. Billy was awake after the crash. The other driver was not badly hurt.
After the accident, Billy's team, JHR Developments, started a fundraising page to help him. They raised over £500,000 in just one day! Many famous F1 drivers, like Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, also donated.
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In June 2017, Billy announced that he would return to racing in November. He planned to share a special racing car with another driver who also had lost all four limbs. This was part of a bigger plan to have a team of three disabled drivers race at the 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours. In July 2017, Billy got back on the track. He tested a race car that had been changed with special hand controls. This allowed him to get his racing license back.
Return to Single-Seater Racing
In February 2018, Billy drove a single seater racing car again for the first time since his accident. He tested a BRDC British Formula 3 car for the Carlin team. The next month, he announced he would race for Carlin in the 2018 BRDC Formula 3 series.
To race in F3, Billy and his family had to ask the sport's main governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), to change their rules. The rules used to stop disabled drivers from racing single-seater cars because of safety worries. In December 2017, the FIA changed the ban. This allowed disabled drivers to race modified single-seater cars if they passed safety checks. Billy finished third in his first race back. His car had special changes, like a brake pedal moved higher up so he could use it with his leg, and a lever on the steering wheel for the throttle.
In June 2018, Billy got to drive a Formula 1 racing car for the first time! He tested a Sauber C30 car. This car was specially changed to have hand controls, just like his Carlin F3 car.
In March 2021, Billy completed "Billy's Big Challenge." He traveled 140 miles (225 km) by walking, kayaking, and cycling. He raised over £3 million for Comic Relief, a charity that helps people in need.
Aiming for the Paralympics
In March 2025, Billy announced that he was aiming to compete in the 2028 Summer Paralympics. He shared that he was already talking about racing in Los Angeles. He was inspired by his work covering the Paralympic Games for Channel 4.
Broadcasting Career
Since 2019, Billy has been a commentator and analyst for Channel 4 F1. He also worked as a co-commentator for the W Series, which is a racing series for women. He has also been part of Channel 4's team covering the Paralympic Games and other Parasports events, working as a commentator and reporter.
A special TV show about Billy's first Formula 1 drive was shown as part of Sky F1's coverage in 2018. Another documentary about Billy's amazing story, called Driven: The Billy Monger Story, was made by the BBC and released in November 2018. In July 2021, it was announced that Billy would present a show called Billy Monger: Changing Gear as part of the Paralympics coverage.
Billy is also part of Channel 4's team presenting the 2024 Summer Paralympics.
In September 2023, Billy and his sister, Bonny, were contestants on a TV show called Celebrity Race Across the World. They had to leave the race early due to a family emergency. In October 2024, Billy took part in the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon. He did this to raise money for Comic Relief. He set a new world record for a double amputee, finishing in 14 hours, 23 minutes, and 56 seconds. This was more than two hours faster than the old record! He also became the youngest double amputee to complete an Ironman event.
Personal Life
Billy is a big fan of the football team Tottenham Hotspur F.C..
In October 2024, Billy was not allowed to drive for 49 days. This happened after he lost control of his car and crashed into three parked cars and a wall in January of that year.
See also
- Alex Zanardi, another racing driver who lost both legs in a racing crash.
