Nicolas Hamilton Announces Major Career Move 2026

Motorsport, Sportrik Media - Nicolas Hamilton has confirmed the biggest move of his racing career after signing with Team VERTU for the 2026 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season.

Hamilton, the brother of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, has established his own path in motorsport despite living with cerebral palsy. He began in the Renault Clio UK Cup before progressing to the BTCC in 2019, completing six seasons in the championship to date, with the exception of the 2024 campaign.

Across his BTCC career, Hamilton has scored points on two occasions, with his best result being a sixth-place finish at Donington Park in 2023. Over that period, he has driven a range of touring cars including the Seat Leon, Volkswagen models, Ford Focus, and Audi S3 Saloon, demonstrating technical adaptability across different platforms.

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For the 2026 season, Hamilton will race a Hyundai i30 Fastback N Performance prepared by Team VERTU, with backing from Draper Tools. The team represents the current identity of EXCELR8 Motorsport, the reigning BTCC champions, providing Hamilton with a significantly competitive technical package.

The line-up at Team VERTU further underlines the scale of this opportunity. Hamilton will share the garage with reigning champion Tom Ingram, alongside experienced drivers Ricky Collard and Tom Chilton, the latter a multiple race winner in the series.

Announcing the deal via social media, Hamilton described the move as a defining milestone in his career. Joining a championship-winning team is expected to enhance his ability to deliver more consistent performances, supported by a stable technical environment and proven race-winning infrastructure.

From a competitive perspective, the switch places Hamilton within one of the most structured and data-driven teams in the BTCC paddock. Access to high-level engineering support, development continuity, and experienced team-mates could play a decisive role in elevating his results throughout the 2026 season.

As the new BTCC campaign approaches, attention will focus on how effectively Hamilton capitalises on this opportunity, with expectations that the move to Team VERTU could represent a turning point in his trajectory within British touring car racing.