How Red Bull junior Edgar bounced back after contracting Crohn's disease?

Back in March, Jonny Edgar had been excited to start his second year in FIA Formula 3. Having joined reigning teams’ champions Trident from Carlin, the 18-year-old was looking to bounce back in 2022 after 2021 turned into a “difficult year; I struggled all year really.”

The 2020 ADAC F4 champion was optimistic, with his new squad having secured the teams’ title last season courtesy of strong showings from Jack Doohan and Clement Novalak. He told Motorsport.com that he was hoping to finish in the top three before eyeing up a move to FIA Formula 2 next year.

His progress was abruptly brought to a halt after the season opener in Bahrain. Having struggled in the pre-season test before failing to score in the first round, Edgar had been feeling unwell since January. But a Crohn’s Disease diagnosis in the weeks which followed forced him to step away from racing.

The illness, which causes inflammation of the digestive tract, had made him unable to eat, and he lost 17kg in a short period. With the support of his team and Red Bull, whose junior academy he is a member of, Edgar decided to sit out the following rounds to focus on his recovery.

Last weekend, he made a surprise return at Silverstone, his home race, just three months after receiving the diagnosis. Despite still not being at full fitness, Edgar took home four points, courtesy of an eighth place finish in Sunday’s feature race, having fought his way through the field from 14th.

It was a miraculous and much welcome return for Edgar, a member of the BRDC Rising Stars. On Monday, he told how despite attempting to carry on in the early phases of this season, his illness meant he was unable to brake properly and was losing strength, as well as weight.

“From the start of