Nicolas Hamilton, half-brother of 2008 Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton, is aiming for a ride in the British Touring Car Championship in 2015. Affected with cerebral palsy, he would be the first disabled driver to compete in the series.
Nicolas Hamilton began racing in the Renault Clio Cup in 2011 and moved over to the European Touring Car Cup in 2013, but has been out of a ride for the current season.
In his first blog post on his website, Hamilton explains: “An aspect of my disability is that I may trip or fall whilst going about my daily routine. I get myself back up, I don’t rely or want anyone to help me back onto my feet. I do of course get continuous emotional support from my family, however they respect my mind set of wanting to find my own, independent way in the sport, so I can prove you can ‘Exceed Expectations.’
“While I still feel I have a lot to learn in racing, I have always strived to push myself to achieve results and exceed my expectations, and I hope racing in the BTCC will prove just that. My main ambition is not just to compete, but to inspire others to strive for their goals and to follow their dreams, regardless of their situation.”
Nicolas’ elder brother and current Formula One star Lewis Hamilton had this to say on Twitter regarding his brother’s announcement Monday:
Big s/o to my brother @nicolashamilton , for inspiring me & many more in his quest to exceed expectations! Proud of u bro!
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) August 18, 2014
Nicolas is encouraging his fans on Twitter to use the hashtags #NH2015 and #TeamNH to follow his progress.
