Nicolas Hamilton shares his last name and his love for racing with his 7-time F1 world champion brother Lewis Hamilton.
Nicolas grew up around the race track watching his brother achieve glory in the pinnacle of motorsport but he did not think that the same was possible for himself as well.
Up until the age of 17, the younger Hamilton was wheelchair-bound as he was born with cerebral palsy due to immature birth. But he overcame the odds after undergoing major operations and physiotherapy sessions.
When he got out of the wheelchair his father, Anthony, saw it as an opportunity to try his hands out at go-karts. This ultimately led Nicolas to pursue a career in racing.
Nicolas is Lewis’ half-brother from the paternal side of the family. Their father, Anthony had divorced his first wife Carmen Larbalestier when their son Lewis was 2 years old. He then got remarried a woman named Linda who gave birth to their son Nicholas in 1992.
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Lewis Hamilton says Nicolas is an inspiration to him
Nicolas joins Lewis at as many races as possible and is often seen cheering his older brother from the paddocks.
Lewis Hamilton calls Nicolas a big inspiration for himself and has constantly lauded his brother for overcoming his disabilities.
Despite being the brother of the 7-time world champion, Nicolas never asked Lewis for any help regarding money or anything for his racing career.
The young Hamilton is the biggest supporter of his older brother. When Lewis won his first-ever championship title in 2008, Nicolas could not hold back even an ounce of excitement and happiness that he felt as he saw his brother clinch the glorious maiden title.
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Which series does Nicolas Hamilton race in?
Nicolas Hamilton competes in the Britsh Touring Car Championship and in 2011 he was given a chance to participate in the Renault Clio Cup. Even though he finished last in the race in the Clio cup, he garnered a lot of media attention.
The 28-year-old also holds the record for being the first disabled driver to score points in the British Touring Car Championships.
In 2020, the Briton was confirmed as the fourth Team HARD driver which also helped him retain his ROKiT sponsorship.
Recently, Nicolas came together with his brother Lewis when he was given a chance to drive the Formula 1 simulator. The 7-time world champion explained that the Brackley-based team modified the simulator seat, steering wheel and pedals to fit his younger brother’s needs.
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How do they modify Nicolas’ car?
The opportunity that approached Nicolas in 2011 was a big breakthrough for him but it came with hurdles.
His condition affected his legs and balance and thus prevented him from being able to flex his ankles. This means that he was unable to use the foot pedals while driving.
To help Nicolas acclimate to the vehicle, his team equipped a carbon-fibre hand clutch on the steering wheel which minimised the use of his legs while driving.
Additionally, the car featured a wide accelerator and the brake pedals in the car were positioned in a way that allowed him to not stretch his leg fully. On top of that, his seat was also specially developed for his body.
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Lewis gifted Nicolas Gaming rig to stay in touch with him
Lewis absolutely adores his brother and it is quite visible to the public as well. The seven-time world champion never fails to mention his brother whenever he is talking about his successes.
With both brothers being racing drivers they would sometime not be in touch with each other. So to bridge that gap, Hamilton gifted his little brother a gaming rig.
Both of them are huge fans of the game Call of Duty, so Lewis bought an extraordinary portable gaming rig for Nicolas so that they could connect and stay in touch with each other.
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