British racer, 18, reveals Max Verstappen gesture and F1 messages after cancer diagnosis

British teenager Will Macintyre has shared the touching support and messages he's received from Formula 1 stars following news of his cancer diagnosis. The motorsport hopeful, aged just 18, announced earlier this month that he had been diagnosed with brain and lung cancer.

Macintyre, who has achieved remarkable success in junior racing series, broke the news of his illness on social media and was met with an overwhelming response. At the time of writing, his original post announcing his diagnosis and confirming he must take time away from motorsport has garnered over 88,000 likes.

More than 2,900 comments were also posted beneath the announcement, offering the young racer vital support during his darkest hour.

Among those who reached out were Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft, British Touring Car Championship driver Nicolas Hamilton – Lewis Hamilton's younger brother – and Williams racer Alex Albon.

Macintyre has now revealed he's also been contacted directly by other major figures from the motorsport sphere. "Even people I've never met before: Max Verstappen, Kimi Antonelli and Susie Wolff, all wishing me well," he told the BBC.

The teenager, who came second in the 2023 British F1 championship, has been undergoing treatment at Milton Keynes hospital. He described how his mates have been popping round with sweets, snacks and entertainment - including a VR headset that's allowed him to play virtual golf to help pass the time.

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"I've got as much sorted to make this as homey and as fun as possible," he said. "I mean, we've just got to make the time go by quicker and whenever I'm talking to anyone, time flies by." He was also pictured wearing a Liverpool football shirt while laid in his hospital bed.

For now, his priority very much has to be on following his doctors' orders to give him the best chance of a successful fight against his disease. But in the long term, Macintyre remains adamant that he will be back racing cars in the future.

He said: "When? Not a clue. If it's going to be in two weeks' time or four years' time, I don't know. I don't know when I'll be back but I will be back... I love it too much. I'll be back to winning at some stage, that's for sure."