EXCLUSIVE: Billy Monger was the young racing sensation expected to take motorsport by storm until the 120MPH crash that almost killed him - and his dream of driving in Formula 1

As Billy Monger prepares for the heartbreaking tenth anniversary of the crash that so nearly killed him, the one-time rising star of British racing refuses to let his F1 dream die.

Not that he needs the milestone early next year to remind him of what he went through. The harrowing crash that cost the then 17-year-old both his legs and so nearly his life enters his mind every time he looks down.

While most teenagers need little excuse to mope when life isn't going their way, the remarkable young man had no intention of throwing a strop.

Within a few years he had broken the world record for the fastest double amputee to complete an Ironman, and had raised almost £5million for charity.

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He's also a published author, has forged a career as a respected TV presenter, and would likely have won Race Across The World had it not been for a family emergency forcing his withdrawal.

He's also just launched a new YouTube five-parter that sees him meet four young people with disabilities, each with their own individual story and relationship with sport.

After being placed in a coma after the 120MPH head-on crash while competing in the Formula 4 British Championship at Donington Park, the inspirational double amputee is still wondering if the road to recovery leads back to the racetrack.

"It was like any other race day, I was coming through the field and had to go off track to avoid a lap one collision," he recalled in a rare interview about the day his world changed forever.

"As I was come through the pack, in the rain which is such a challenge, and the next thing I knew a car had spun off. I was going at well over 100MPH.

"I was blinded by two cars in front of me, it was a case of wrong place wrong time. I was placed into a coma after being airlifted to hospital. It changed everything within a blink of an eye."

He was trapped inside the car for more than 60 minutes at the Derby racetrack while crews desperately battled to extract him from the wreckage. The young racing sensation tipped for the very top after some significant early career wins had to rebuild his life.

While lucky and grateful that he still had the opportunity, the kid they called Billy Whizz never did wave the chequered flag to competing in F1.

"People think it's just a one-man sport, but it isn't," he explained. "It's a real community of people in racing that get you out on track. From family, mechanics, sponsors, technicians.

"After my accident they were there for me. If you put a lot of people in one room and they all love motorsport, guess what? We're going to talk about motorsport!

"I woke up after four days and the first thing I did was ask my dad for a piece of paper and I scribbled down in terrible handwriting 'who won the race'.

"That was the first thing I wanted to say, which sounds ridiculous now, but that was my racer's instinct coming out in that moment. I'd say those conversations started then.

"I heard more about Alex Zanardi, who was an Italian racing driver who returned to competitive racing in GT cars less than two years after the crash where he lost two legs.

"It made me question if it could be possible for me. It made me think. I don't think I will ever be able to say that I have given up on the F1 dream, however long it goes on without me racing for a number of years.

"It was always going to be tough to make it to the pinnacle of the sport, but you'll never hear me say I have given up on it. That's just not in my spirit."

World-record-breaking triathlete Billy went on: "As much as I'm a dreamer at heart and I love chasing big dreams, I know there are practicalities involved.

"I have been able to get back into a racing car but when Covid happened, it was a big stumbling block. The momentum I was building, with sponsors forced to pull out because the world is how it was, it made it so tricky to get going again.

"There's still opportunities for F1. I would still love to win some of the biggest races, like the Le Mans, they're still on the radar. I'm 27, and if you look at Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, they're in their 40s. I just need to keep putting my name out there, being around the decision makers in the sport.

"With working for Channel 4 I get the opportunity to meet people who could make these dreams a reality. I've just got to keep chipping away."

His mindset continues to drive him forward. In 2021, he walked, cycled and kayaked 140-miles across England, which drew pledges over £3million.

Then there's the small matter of the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, which he completed in 14 hours, 23 minutes, and 56 seconds. He broke the world record for a double leg amputee by over two hours and raised millions for Comic Relief.

Billy sat down with the Mirror to discuss his new series which started on YouTube on Wednesday. The show was his own idea, and sees him mentor youngsters who have faced similar challenges.

"I'm a few years older than most of them, but the idea is that I can help them where I can and find that common bond," he said. "With the help of Toyota, we can give them a bit of a platform to be able to try things for the first time. Their challenges are a little different but there are so many similarities.

"Before we started filming, we had a group conversation together and we talked through certain stigmas, and areas they were struggling with.

"Things like body image, and how things change with young people. We also talk about identity and we have come really powerful conversations.

"I've done a lot of charity work, we've had an impact on a lot of people but this felt like an opportunity to do something on a one-to-one basis and to have some form of mentoring and see the change while they learn about themselves and have some fun as well."