Nicolas Hamilton lands Team Vertu ride for 2026 BTCC season

Nicolas Hamilton, brother of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, will return to the British Touring Car Championship this season driving for EXCELR8-run Hyundai squad Team Vertu. 

He replaces Adam Morgan in the team’s Draper Tools-backed Hyundai i30 Fastback N, Morgan having moved to the new Plato Racing team for this season.

Hamilton, who has cerebral palsy, has made 160 starts in the BTCC, taking a best result of sixth during a wet second race at Donington in 2023. However, he has spent much of his career in teams towards the back of the grid owing to funding shortfalls. In moving to the EXCELR8 stable, he joins a team that’s won two of the last four drivers’ titles (with Tom Ingram) and 29 races in that time too – almost one in four.

"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,” said Hamilton.

"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. 

The upcoming season will be Hamilton’s eighth in the UK's premier racing series. He debuted back in 2015 driving an Audi S3 for AmD Tuning, then switched to a Motorbase-run Ford Focus RS after three years away. He moved to Team HARD. for 2020, driving a Volkswagen CC initially, before racing a Cupra Leon for the following three seasons. He competed last season after sitting out 2024, again in a Leon, that time run by Un-Limited Motorsport.

“We are delighted to welcome Nicolas into our team for the 2026 season, and to have him at the wheel of our Draper Tools car,” said EXCELR8 owner Justina Williams. “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!”

Hamilton has already tested his Hyundai at a recent outing at Snetterton, and will be in action on Wednesday at the BTCC season launch and final official test at Brand Hatch on Wednesday.