Double amputee Monger on podium after F3 debut
Double amputee Monger on podium after F3 debut
LONDON (Reuters) - British teenager Billy Monger drew plaudits from Formula One and across the world of motorsport on Saturday after finishing third on his F3 debut less than a year after his legs were amputated.
The 18-year-old walked on to the podium on prosthetic legs after competing in a specially adapted car at the opening race of the British Formula Three championship at Oulton Park circuit.
Four-times world champion Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team joined Formula One drivers and others on Twitter in congratulating the youngster for his remarkable comeback achievement.
Monger lost his legs after a Formula Four crash at Donington Park last April, with more than $1 million raised to help his recovery through a crowdfunding campaign.
The accident, with the teenager smashing into the back of a stationary car, led to Formula One’s governing body ordering a change to the rear jack points of cars for safety reasons.
Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond
Source: Reuters Sport