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British teenager Billy Monger has returned to the cockpit of a single-seater race car for the first time since the horrific crash which led to the amputation of both his legs last April. Monger was seriously injured following a heavy collision with a rival in a Formula 4 race at Donington Park. It took recovery crews over an hour to extract him from the car. The 18-year-old is taking part in a testing programme with Carlin in the team's BRDC British Formula 3 machinery, starting with a run at Oulton Park on Tuesday. During the day, Monger tweeted: "Didn't think this would be possible a few months ago. "Long way to go but the goal is getting closer. Thanks Carlin Racing for making today possible." Ever since his accident Monger has vowed to return to competitive racing. He returned to the road in a VW Fun Cup car -- equipped with specially modified steering controls -- last year, before confirming that he will link up with quadruple amputee and racer Frederic Sausset in a scheme aimed at putting three disabled drivers on the grid for the 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours.  Monger was a guest of Lewis Hamilton's at last year's British Grand Prix. The four-time world champion labelled his fellow countryman "an incredible human being" and tipped him to replicate some of the achievements of Alex Zanardi, who lost both legs in a horrific CART crash in 2001 before going on to contest numerous seasons of racing and win multiple gold medals at the Paralympics. Hamilton took to social media to congratulate the teenager on his achievement. The motorsport community rallied around Monger at the time of his incident, with numerous former drivers joining teams and fans in donating to a JustGiving page to cover the medical costs of his accident and subsequent surgeries.
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