British racing driver Nicolas Hamilton discusses securing silverware, overcoming barriers, his ambitions for the future, and his relationship with sponsor Vertu Motors.
“Motorsport is a team sport. I’m the person in the car. I’m the final piece to the puzzle but the more the team support me, the easier it is for me to do my job. I’m definitely not a one-man band in that scenario.
“I think that life is 90% mental and 10% physical, and your mental state is super important especially inside the car because you are alone. Once the door shuts, you are on your own. There is no one else that can drive the car for you.”
Nicolas Hamilton, 34, was speaking to Motor Trader just months after claiming the first silverware of his career with the Jack Sears Trophy while driving for Team Vertu in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) at Snetterton. Hamilton discusses the journey to his first-ever BTCC podium and his future plans.
Making history
In 2015, Hamilton became the first disabled driver to compete in the BTCC.
He says: “My life didn’t start in the best of ways being diagnosed with my disability, spastic diplegia cerebral palsy. I never saw myself being a fully-fledged racing driver. I was just trying to understand where I fit into society.
“I struggled to walk initially, and so there was no thought process of being a racing driver but once I got my opportunity in 2011 as a 19-year-old, I saw it as an opportunity to change my life if I really worked hard and knuckled down.
“Originally, I was a wheelchair user for five and a half years but I knew that if I worked hard I might have an opportunity to follow my dream which was to race cars. Through grit, determination, and a little bit of resilience, I managed to do that in 2011.”
Hamilton recognises his story could inspire others to pursue motorsport.
“It was almost a ‘I want to race cars, so I’m going to do everything I can to race cars’. It was my passion but then as time went on, I realised that my story was helping and inspiring people. Whether they were disabled, non-disabled, parents of disabled children, or friends of disabled people, they were inspired by my story.
“I now realise I’m sort of here in service of others to inspire the next generation and the current generation. And I use my motorsport to continue doing that whilst following my dream.”
The road to success
Hamilton’s journey in motorsport has been marked by significant achievements.
He says: “Getting into the BTCC, the pinnacle of British Motorsport, by 2015 and being the first disabled athlete ever to compete in the BTCC was an amazing achievement for me.
“I’ve just continued to grow from strength to strength but also have had some downtime, some negativity along the way, because that’s life. You are always going to have some down days, difficult times, difficult days, difficult years.”
His recent achievements highlight how perseverance and support can help overcome challenges.
“I’ve had a lot of difficult years but it culminated in me being in a brand-new team, in EXCELR8 Motorsport, and Team Vertu for 2026, and getting my first Jack Sears trophy in podium in May which is a combination of 20 years of hard work, dedication, a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.”
Strength in numbers
Hamilton notes that the strong circle of people around him are all a part of the journey. A circle made up of his partner, family members, friends, and driving teammates.
“Mentally having the right people around you, the people that support you and believe in you, is really important and I am really grateful for my friends, and my family obviously who are very supportive of my passion and my direction.
“My wonderful girlfriend has always been supportive of my passions and what I believe in. She has believed in it with me and to share the moments of getting on the podium for the first time with her was incredible.”
Inclusion and accessibility
Speaking during National Inclusion Week 2026 (14 September to 20 September), Hamilton emphasises the importance of all having the opportunity to enjoy motorsport.
“Everywhere that I’ve gone in my life, I’ve been the only disabled person there. When I was at school, I was the only disabled person at school, when I got into motorsport, I was the only disabled person in the paddock or on the grid.
“I didn’t struggle with people not accepting my disability, especially in motorsport. I signed to a race team back in 2019 in Clio Cup, my first season, and they helped me straight away. I had to work hard to get my racing license, which took longer than most. There were a few barriers in that context but because they hadn’t dealt with it before, it was something new.
“People were very helpful, very open to the opportunity of working with a disabled driver. As I’ve done more racing, more driving, been to more events, I take myself out of the driving seat and I look at spectators that come to the races. I put myself in their shoes and realise that there is still so much more that can be done.”
Hamilton has observed difficulties disabled spectators can face at race events.
“People in wheelchairs, disabled people in general, are struggling day to day when it comes to going to events. Getting to their grandstand seats or disabled toilets, and the disabled car park actually being further away than they would like it to be”, he says.
“There are so many different opportunities for disabled people out there but there is no one really welcoming them or making them feel that they are welcome within motorsport or within the paddock. That’s where I feel like there’s a lot more that can be done.”
Partnering with Royal London
Customer owned life, pensions and investment company Royal London announced a new partnership with Hamilton, expanding its Levelling the Playing Field initiative.
Hamilton says: “I wanted to focus on inclusion in motorsport and levelling the playing field within motorsport. That does not have to come from driving a car physically, it’s about creating more job opportunities for disabled people within motorsport to show that motorsport welcomes disabled people, opens their arms to disable people, and gives them opportunities.
“I think a successful partnership would create these opportunities. These opportunities for disabled people to come and feel valued, feel heard, feel like people have thought about their disabilities, their struggles, and worked out ways in how they can make things easier for them so they can be more accepted within the industry.”
Royal London and Hamilton will also explore whether his ambition to establish the first fully disabled and neurodiverse race team can become a reality.
“We have this goal to create a disabled and neurodivergent race team within the British Touring Car Championship, alongside my current team. Whether it’s feasible, completely, we don’t know yet because there are so many different things we have to think about but the desire is there and I’ve had that desire for a long time.
“To find the correct partner that has the same desire and passion and goals was difficult, and I found it in Royal London and I’m so grateful that they are on the same page as me.”
The partnership is gearing up to establish a plan to reach the public.
Hamilton explains: “Hopefully we can be a powerhouse in creating opportunities for neurodivergent and disabled people within the sport. We will be fleshing out a proper plan of how we reach out to people.
“I would love to get charities involved, like Scope UK who I’m an ambassador of. I would love to work with charities, to have an outreach in that way and see if there are people that would be interested in getting into motorsport and trying to figure out what they would be interested in doing whether that’s, engineering, hospitality, aerodynamics. The idea is to train them up alongside my current mechanics, team, and personnel.
“No one knows how it’s going to go initially, but that’s what is so exciting about it. When I was getting into motorsport, I had no idea how it was going to go but the most important thing is taking the leap of faith and dealing with the ups and downs as they come and go.”
On Vertu
Bristol Street Motors is the name that first appeared on EXCELR8’s cars in 2021. In 2025, the team transitioned its name to Team Vertu as part of dealer’s branding consolidation.
Hamilton says: “This is my first year at EXCELR8 Motorsport driving for Team Vertu. They really look after their partners, they see the value in not just slapping a sticker on the side of a car and sponsorship money.
“I think getting behind a disabled driver, being unique in what I do, is really powerful for them. I think they have really enjoyed working with me just as much as I have enjoyed working with them.
“I’ve come up with these ideas of how to create more job opportunities for disabled people within British touring cars. When the time is right and the time comes, Team Vertu and EXCELR8 will be right there ready to help and start.
“They do such a great job when it comes to fan engagement. The fan zone is always packed out on a Sunday. I’ve met some important staff for the company and staff that are passionate about the business, passionate about cars, and passionate about the sport.
Hamilton is enthusiastic and positive about the partnership with Vertu.
“It is a partnership that hopefully has longevity. I don’t just drive for their team, I have other partners that I drive for as well and they understand that. We do some great pieces of content with my other teammates, 4 of us in total, driving some great cars and having some fun.
“You never know when you when you go to a new team and a new environment, you can be a bit nervous but it has been the best decision I’ve ever made for my career and hopefully they feel the same and maybe we can continue in 2027 and beyond.”
