Lewis Hamilton’s younger brother Nicolas is making a surprise return to the British Touring Car Championship after a year and a half hiatus. The 33-year-old, who has cerebral palsy and is the only disabled driver to ever compete in the BTCC, will join Un-Limited Motorsport’s three-car lineup. He’s set to race in a Cupra Leon alongside Dexter Patterson and Max Hall.
“I want to make the world realise that motorsport is inclusive, that disabled people should be proud, and that motorsport can accept them,” he told Autosport earlier this week. “You don’t necessarily have to be a racing driver to be a part of the industry.” The Brit said he’s determined to use his platform to advocate for people with disabilities working in all areas of motorsport. “A lot of people just take pictures next to their car and say that they’re back racing. This year I really wanted to use my platform to help inspire the industry to bring more disabled people into the sport,” he added.
According to Nicolas, he wasn’t planning on racing in 2025 before Un-Limited team principal Bob Sharpless offered him a drive last December. “We didn’t even know that I’d ever get back on the BTCC grid, but Bob and his team got in touch,” he explained. “It was very late to be able to go and get sponsors and everything that you need [but] he gave me a real good deal that I thought would be possible to get in terms of the funding.
“Fortunately through blood, sweat, tears and some late nights, and thanks to my partners that believe in me, I got the budget together and I’m back on the grid,” he said. His best result in the BTCC was a sixth place finish at Donington Park in early 2023 while driving for Team Hard, which collapsed at the end of the season.
Not only has Nicolas been a source of inspiration for aspiring young drivers, but also for his seven-time F1 world championship winning brother. “I look at him and I'm so inspired by his mentality and by how incredible the body and the mind are,” Lewis previously said of his little brother. “Every year he raises his own money. He’s racing in a series where there is no access for those who are disabled. He stands for so much. He is fighting to make up for the disability he has with his legs. It’s a continuous fight."
