Lewis Hamilton’s brother Nicolas makes ‘biggest announcement’ after ‘one final push’

Nicolas Hamilton, the brother of Ferrari driver and seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, has made the “biggest announcement” of his career after securing a front-running BTCC seat for 2026.

It comes three months after the 34-year-old made “one final push” for sponsorship to secure his place on the 2026 grid.

Lewis Hamilton brother Nicolas signs BTCC deal for 2026 season

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Hamilton, who suffers from cerebral palsy, has competed in the British Touring Car Championship on an intermittent basis over recent years, scoring points on two occasions in 160 starts.

As reported at the time by PlanetF1.com, Hamilton issued a plea for sponsorship in January in the hope of securing his spot on the grid for the 2026 season.

Hamilton has now confirmed that he will drive for defending champions Team VERTU, run by EXCELR8, taking to the wheel of a Hyundai i30 Fastback N with Draper Tools backing.

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He will partner reigning drivers’ champion Tom Ingram and BTCC regular Tom Chilton, the brother of former Marussia F1 driver Max Chilton.

In a post to social media, Hamilton wrote: “The biggest announcement of my BTCC career, as I join the reigning champions, EXCELR8 driving the Draper Tools car!

“An opportunity to drive in one of the most competitive cars/teams on the grid; an opportunity I have worked 10 years for! I am going to give it my all, and make this the best & most successful year I have ever had.

“A huge thank you to all of my partners for making this possible, for believing in me and my passion for representing disability in the pinnacle of British motorsport, I am truly grateful!”

Hamilton’s brother Lewis was among those to comment on the post, writing: “Let’s go.”

In a statement published to coincide with the news, Hamilton added: “I am incredibly proud to be joining such a strong outfit in Team VERTU and EXCELR8 for this season as throughout my career, I have struggled for funding and budget, which meant I found myself in less competitive equipment.

“Thanks to my 2026 partners and the team’s long standing partner Draper Tools, I can now step into a more competitive package, and that is a really special and exciting moment for me.

“I have worked harder than ever over the winter to build my strength and fitness to improve my disability and I will be giving absolutely everything I can to be as competitive as possible.

“A big thank you to Antony, Justina, and everyone at EXCELR8 for this incredible opportunity.”

Sarah Hartland, the Draper Tools head of marketing, added: “We are thrilled to be back in the BTCC for the 2026 season and embarking on our eighth year backing the EXCELR8 team.

“Supporting Nicolas Hamiliton to achieve his racing goals this season is an exciting step for us.

“The dedication of the entire EXCELR8 team, from the mechanics in the garage to Nic at the wheel, represents exactly the kind of commitment and passion we stand for.

“We can’t wait to be back amongst it all, meeting fans, watching all the action on track and seeing our tools put to good use in the garages. Here’s to a competitive season and pushing boundaries as a team.”

Justina Williams, the owner of Team VERTU Team Owner, added: “We are delighted to to welcome Nicolas into our team for the 2026 season and to have him at the wheel of our Draper Tools car.

“The way Nicolas has battled against the odds to achieve his dream of competing on track despite his disability is well documented and he is an inspiration to many for the way he has never given up on that dream.

“We feel we can give Nicolas the tools to really show what he can do this season and are looking forward to working with him to reach his goals during the year ahead, one of which is to stand on the BTCC podium with the team.

“We’ll be working hard with him to make that happen!”

The new BTCC season is scheduled to begin at Donington Park on April 19.

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