Teenage race car driver who lost legs in crash is ready to get back behind the wheel

Last year 18-year-old professional race car driver Billy Monger lost both his legs in a terrible crash. It wasn’t clear if he’d survive, much less recover. One year later, Monger says he’s done recovering: he’s ready to race again, better than he did before.

Monger is moving up from Formula 4 to Formula 3, one tier above the race series he crashed in. Monger has been working with British Formula 3 officials to adapt a car he can drive without legs that will be still allowed by the rules. 

Monger will use only one prosthetic leg to drive the car. He’ll brake with his leg, but control the throttle with his left hand. The hardest part, he says, is relearning the muscle memory he spent 12 years learning. He’s still got a few months to learn--the season starts in April, almost exactly one year since his accident. Monger is still locking down a sponsor, but has said he is close to a deal to put him back in a car and on a team before the start of the season.