"Motorsport is not built to be inclusive" - Lewis Hamilton hails brother Nicolas' BTCC podium breakthrough

Lewis Hamilton has hailed his brother Nicolas Hamilton's breakthrough British Touring Car Championship trophy, beating a system that is "not built to be inclusive". 

On the same day that Lewis battled Max Verstappen for second place at the Canadian Grand Prix, Nicolas stood on the BTCC podium for the first time. In his eighth season competing in BTCC, the younger Hamilton, who suffers from cerebral palsy, crossed the line at Snetterton to receive the silverware for winning the Jack Sears Trophy. 

Named after the first BTCC champion, the award is open to six drivers this term, with those eligible having scored one or fewer podiums prior to the start of the current season. 

"I could not be more proud of my brother Nicolas Hamilton," wrote seven-time F1 champion, Lewis. 

"Seeing the passion and emotion on his face as he stood on his first podium was such a beautiful moment. For us both to be on podiums on the same day was a major. I called him the second the race ended.

"Motorsport is not built to be inclusive. There is little to no access for people with disabilities, and no support systems to level the playing field. This is something so many take for granted. Despite that, despite the barriers and the people who told him it wasn’t possible, he never stopped. He fought. He adapted. He proved them wrong.

"While he will always be my kid brother, I am profoundly proud of the leader, the athlete, and the man he has become. He inspires me just as much as he inspires everyone watching his journey. No matter how hard it has been he has never given up. What he’s achieved is massive and I’m so happy for him. Love you bro, keep going."

Why Nicolas Hamilton's BTCC breakthrough is significant

Hamilton competes in a specially modified Hyundai i30 Fastback N Performance, and is the first disabled driver to race in the category.

These include a two pedal arrangement rather than the traditional three, with the clutch instead fitted to the steering wheel for hand operation. 

The controls on the wheel have also been extended to better suit him, and a specialised brake servo ensures that he is able to maintain high pressure on the brakes during longer on-track stints. 

Cerebral palsy is "an umbrella term for a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement, muscle tone, and posture. It is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain, which usually occurs before, during, or shortly after birth", as described by charity 'Sense'. 

Due to his condition, Hamilton has consistently been written of, with his efforts often discounted on social media, leading teams and drivers - both past and present - to defend his right to be on the grid. 

Speaking after being doused in champagne by champions Ash Sutton and Gordon Shedden, Hamilton said: “I am literally lost for words – it’s a surreal moment.

“I have achieved my motorsport dream: to stand on a BTCC podium as the winner of the Jack Sears Trophy.

“This year I set my goal on winning a trophy – it’s all I have ever wanted. To finally experience what it felt like to walk up the podium stairs – a challenge in itself – and hold my trophy high in the air felt even better than I could ever have imagined. From a boy in his wheelchair, told he may never walk, to walking onto the podium in the BTCC.

“I have worked my whole life for this moment – 18 years since I decided to get out of my wheelchair and set myself the goal of becoming a racing driver. This moment means more than I could ever explain.

“Thank you to absolutely everyone who has been, and still is, part of my journey – my sponsors, my team, my family, friends and even my doubters. You have all helped me reach this point and I am forever grateful. This is your trophy too.”