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Nicolas Hamilton Wins Jack Sears Trophy to Secure First BTCC Podium

Bespoke car adaptations enabled the first disabled BTCC driver to reach a podium, prompting renewed attention to accessibility in motorsport.

Overview

  • Nicolas Hamilton claimed the Jack Sears Trophy at Snetterton to record his first BTCC podium, driving for EXCELR8-linked VERTU in a Hyundai i30 Fastback N Performance.
  • Lewis Hamilton took second at the Canadian Grand Prix on the same day and posted an emotional Instagram tribute celebrating his younger brother’s achievement.
  • Hamilton races with cerebral palsy and uses specially modified controls— a two-pedal layout, a clutch mounted on the steering wheel, extended wheel controls and a specialised brake servo— to compete at touring-car speeds.
  • The BTCC paddock and past champions publicly celebrated Hamilton on the podium and he described the trophy as the fulfilment of a lifelong motorsport dream after being told he might never walk.
  • Coverage says the result has renewed calls for better access and support for disabled drivers in racing, though no regulatory or structural changes have been announced so far.