The Formula E world rallies for Billy Monger
In a project set up by Jean-Eric Vergne and Nelson Piquet Jr, ten racing drivers gathered in Pontoise on Thursday evening for a race in support of the young British driver. The aim was to raise funds through ticket prices (£20 minimum) for participants, who were able to team up with the drivers in exchange.
On April 16th at Donington Park, Billy Monger, a competitor in British F4, lost his legs following a horrific accident. In response to this tragedy, the racing community rallied by raising funds, exceeding £750,000.
On the occasion of the Paris ePrix, the Formula E drivers wanted to do their part by organizing a kart race with fans to raise funds.
This Thursday evening in Pontoise, Jean-Eric Vergne’s family circuit was thus requisitioned for beautiful moments of sharing and support.
Among the drivers present, Jean-Eric Vergne, Nelson Piquet Jr, Ho-Pin Tung (reserve driver for the Panasonic Jaguar Racing team), Felix Rosenqvist, Nick Heidfeld, Stéphane Sarrazin, Antonio Felix Da Costa, and Robin Frijns took part in the race.
Today, Friday afternoon, the usual pre-race press conference was held, where Jean-Eric Vergne was invited. During this event, the Parisian revisited the circumstances of organizing this charity race in honor of Billy Monger.
« It’s an idea that we came up with together with Nelson Piquet Jr during the weekend in Monaco. My parents have a karting track outside of Paris. The goal was also to invite fans so they could compete with Formula E drivers. »
Brilliant night #RacingforBilly! Thanks to all the drivers & fans for coming and a BIG thank you to all who have donated! #BillyWhizz pic.twitter.com/MsTmxxbScD
— Jean-Eric Vergne (@JeanEricVergne) 18 mai 2017
The Techeetah driver goes into detail about the organization of this race: « The principle was to buy tickets to participate, followed by a lottery to determine who would compete. We had almost a hundred people yesterday. There were 9 or 10 drivers on the grid in addition to journalists and fans, and we had Billy (Monger) via video conference with us. He is welcome in Formula E so we can show him all the support he can receive. »
But it is above all the young man’s ability – who turned 18 at the beginning of the month – that commands the admiration of the whole world, and Jean-Eric Vergne rightly pointed out: « He is extremely strong so far. He impresses the world with his mentality. And I am convinced that he will make motorsport his life, as a professional. »
Following this race, the initiative raised £1,725. All of the drivers now hope to reach the £20,000 mark.
For this, feel free to take your turn by visiting the following site: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/RacingForBilly
