Yahoo Autos Lotus in Space
Welcome to The Grid, R&T's quick roundup of the auto industry and motorsports news you should know this morning.
Monger's Back
In April, 2017, Billy Monger had a horrific F4 crash that cost him both of his legs. But the 18 year old, nicknamed Bill Whizz, has had an unbelievably positive outlook, vowing to get back behind the wheel of a race car sooner than later. A brief run in a VW Beetle "Fun Cup" car was the first step, but now he's in something much more serious.
Thanks to Carlin Racing, Monger tested an F3 car at Oulton Park in England. No word on the lap times, but this is the first step towards a full-time return to open-wheel racing.
Detroit 2019 Dates
It may feel like the 2018 Detroit Auto Show just ended, because it did, but dates are now set for the 2019 show. Expect our coverage from the show floor to start on Jan 14th, and you'll be able to attend the show from Jan 19th to 27th. Mark your calendars.
Wehrlein's New Ride
After Mercedes-backed Pascal Wehrlein lost his Sauber ride to Ferrari driver Charles LeClerc, the German failed to find a new ride in F1. Instead, he'll be making a return to DTM with Mercedes.
This is not a long term solution, however. Mercedes is leaving DTM at the end of 2018 for Formula E, so Wehrlein will either need to hope that Mercedes finds a spot for him in F1, be fine driving in Formula E, or find a new ride on his own.
