GB3 race winner Will Macintyre and his family have launched a £6 million fundraising campaign for an Intra Operative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (iMRI) facility at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, during an event at the British Racing Drivers’ Club Clubhouse at Silverstone.
The 18-year-old challenged for the GB3 title during his debut season in 2024, and was a race winner again in 2025, only for his season to end early after an initial cancer diagnosis in September. In the months which followed, amid ongoing efforts to ascertain Will’s exact condition, repeated tests, scans and biopsies led to inconclusive results, delaying vital treatment plans.
Through MSV Chief Executive Jonathan Palmer, Will was connected with Professor Peter Hutchinson, the Chief Medical Officer for the British Grand Prix and the Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Cambridge. Macintyre was admitted to Addenbrooke’s in December and, after multiple brain and lung biopsies and further tests, has been diagnosed with the extremely rare X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome (XLP1), a condition with only 15 known sufferers in the world.
Macintyre requires a stem cell transplant, also known as a bone marrow transplant, during the next phase of his recovery, with people aged under-30 being potential donors.
The iMRI facility planned for the new Cambridge Neurological Advanced Therapies Treatment Centre will allow patients, such as Will, to undergo vital real-time, high-resolution MRI scans while in theatre. This would provide not only vastly speedier diagnoses, but would reduce the number of required visits to hospitals, and offer greater precision in treatment. In surgical procedures for patients suffering with brain tumours, the ‘live’ imagery will be able to verify that the growth has been completely removed, significantly improving outcomes and reducing the need for repeat operations.
“Had it been available to me, the iMRI would have reduced the need for endless cycles of scans and surgeries,” Macintyre commented from Addenbrooke’s, having not been well enough to be present at Silverstone. “I’ve experienced multiple MRI scans already, and it’s a lot of effort for all people to receive.
“With an iMRI it would have been done much more quickly. Results would have been quicker and we would have been able to figure out exactly what was wrong with me. Forming a national research centre will deliver the next era of treatments, including for cases like mine, which are difficult to diagnose and to treat.”
For Professor Hutchinson, Will’s case has been an eye-opener. “Meeting Will, who is one of the most determined and amazing people that I’ve ever met, has been incredible in terms of what I’ve learned from him and what we need to do next.
“What Will has is a very rare condition, but through a number of processes including scans and some brain operations and biopsies, we’ve been able to establish what is wrong, and hopefully we will be able to implement the best treatment to get him back to where he was before. That would mean the world to us.
“Part of our involvement with Will has been trying to introduce some new technology and equipment in a really special operating theatre, where we combine a magnetic resonance scanner with an operating theatre. This will revolutionise the treatment of conditions that Will has, and [for] others, and we’re currently trying to raise £6 million through the University of Cambridge fundraising to try and help us reach that goal.”
Will’s mother Sian addressed the attendees, and stressed the importance of the iMRI unit in his case.
“Since September 2025, Will has spent eight months in hospital with countless appointments, pre-ops, scans, post-op scans, and more MRIs. All of which could have been streamlined into one simple process using iMRI technology” she said.
“Through Will’s unique rapport with Jonathan Palmer, we were connected with Professor Peter Hutchinson. Or as Will calls him, ‘my lifesaver’.
“Blood tests, doctors, consultants, European renowned lymphoma vasculitis specialists have all tested Will. He has had genetic sequencing, triangulation genetic testing and six cycles of chemotherapy. Motorsport is built on courage, precision and teamwork, and those same qualities drive progress and success in science and medicine.
“By telling you Will’s story, we are giving the platform for Professor Peter Hutchinson and the iMRI project a new track, new fans and amazingly, pledges for this project have already been made.”
MSV Chief Executive Jonathan Palmer added: “Will has been incredibly stoic and positive throughout his ordeal, which is quite amazing.
"The rarity and obscurity of his condition has made accurate diagnosis itself an enormous challenge for his outstanding medical team, lead by Peter Hutchinson, but at least now there is an identified direction for treatment with a stem cell transplant. It’s a long road ahead but we all admire Will’s determination so much.”
Will’s case has attracted the support of the wider motorsport community, with cars racing worldwide now carrying #TeamWill37 stickers, proceeds from which are going towards the fundraising efforts, as well as into Will’s recovery.
Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft is a key supporter of Will’s cause, having met him at his local gym, and was one of the many motorsport personalities present at the Silverstone event.
“This was a young, funny, bright kid that has the rest of his life ahead of him, and an amazing talent on the track as well, and suddenly everything changed overnight” Croft commented.
“One thing I’ve really admired in getting to know Will more is how positive he’s been, and how he has accepted that ‘right, life is really tough at the minute, but I can be quite positive about it, and it doesn’t stop me being interested in everything that’s going on as well.’
“Will is going through a tough time, and is battling away, but he is not alone, and the motorsport community has got behind Will from not just the GB3 world but the world of F1, F2 and F3, karting too. His battle on the track with that motorsport family is now replicated in the real world with a different battle and a more important battle."
How to get involved
Donations can be made via the University of Cambridge website or by purchasing a sticker from Will’s website.
Will requires a stem cell transplant to give him the best possible chance of making a recovery, and there is a 1 in 200 chance of finding a donor match. People aged between 16 and 30 are being asked to join the Stem Cell register via the Anthony Nolan charity. The first step is a simple cheek swab, with packs available from the Anthony Nolan website.