TV REVIEW

DRIVEN: THE BILLY MONGER STORY

“The nicest thing for me when I drive is, unless you know me, you don’t know what’s happened to me – which I like.”

It’s hard to believe there is anyone, even those not interested in motorsport, who still doesn’t know the name Billy Monger.

But for those who don’t, the new BBC documentary Driven: The Billy Monger Story, is the perfect way to find out what makes him so remarkable.

Even for avid motorsport fans who have kept an eye on his progress, this is still a mustwatch. It offers a unique and frank insight into the challenges he overcame, both on and off the track, since the British Formula 4 crash at Donington Park last year which led to a double-leg amputation.

In some ways it plays out like the perfect fairytale, beginning three months after his crash where he’s confined to a wheelchair but ending on his racing return at Oulton Park in BRDC British F3 with a podium and walking on prosthetic legs.

In reality it wasn’t that simple, not by a long way, and the programme conveys the uphill battle faced by Monger and his family – dad Rob, mum Amanda and sister Bonny.

We follow Monger around the family home where changes have been made so he can move around easier in a wheelchair, as well as when he gets his first prosthesis fitted and created so that he can walk again.

“Nothing is really the same as it was before,” admits Monger as he adapts to his new life.

There’s a trip to Paris to meet members of the sport’s governing body, the FIA, and its Medical Commission to overturn a rule which stopped disabled drivers from competing in single-seaters.

It’s a ground-breaking decision and means he has a chance of returning to the track competitively again.

Time is spent at Carlin on the simulator and working with the mechanics to create his hand-controls before we see his first test in a single-seater since his crash, before his emotional podium at Oulton.

Five-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton also makes appearances throughout and it’s clear he genuinely supports Monger and is keen to follow his progress.

“Not many people would have the mental capacity to go through what you have been through and be so positive,” states the Mercedes driver.

That’s perhaps the most remarkable thing. Despite his life-changing injuries and world-wide recognition within motorsport, Monger comes across as a still humble and even shy 19-year-old who admits to being overwhelmed at times by the support.

His positivity and inspiration shines throughout the programme, something conveyed by the surgeons and nurses who looked after him immediately after his accident even to the point where they become emotional remembering how he seemed unfazed by the loss of his legs.

But there are brief moments where the strain of everything begins to show on Monger. In particular, a return to the prosthetic’s company to get new ones fitted. That he’s unable to walk on them properly shows a real hint of frustration and even helplessness.

For his mum especially, the strain is clear and she later admits she no longer watches her son race since the accident.

His Donington crash is shown several times and while unpleasant to watch, it conveys just how violent an impact it was.

Brief footage of him being attended to and his sister coming to his side while still trapped in the car is particularly powerful.

After the programme was shown on BBC Two, the outpouring on social media was positive. Not just from the motorsport community but further afield, with respected celebrities such as Stephen Fry and John Bishop taking to social media to praise Monger for his inspiration.

For those wanting an uplifting and emotional watch, look no further than Driven: The Billy Monger Story.