Nicolas Hamilton secures partial BTCC campaign for 2015
Nicolas Hamilton, the younger brother of Formula 1 world champion Lewis, will contest selected British Touring Car Championship rounds this season in an AmD Tuning Audi S3
The 22-year-old, who has cerebral palsy and raced in the BTCC-supporting Renault UK Clio Cup in 2012 and 2013, will contest five of the championship's 10 rounds in the ex-Robb Holland car.
He will make his BTCC debut at Croft on June 28, having been granted a guest entry by series boss Alan Gow, and will also drive at Snetterton, Rockingham, Silverstone and the Brands Hatch season finale.
"It was such a distant goal," he told AUTOSPORT. "We had so much work to get going, it's great to now finally be in a position to be competing.
"I want to be as prepared as I can. It's all about developing as a driver and learning the ropes. It's quite exciting.
"At the moment I'll be doing four days in the car before Croft. It all comes down to money. A lot of people think because I'm a Hamilton I've got pots of money, whereas this has been purely on my own; no money, no help from my family.
"A full year in 2016 is the plan. This is a foot in the door, to learn my craft and use the season as a big test for next year."
AmD boss Shaun Hollamby, whose team will also field 2014 Clio Cup champion Mike Bushell in a Ford Focus, said it was important Hamilton approached the move in the right way.
"He's motivated and has had the determination to make it happen," he added.
"You can't prepare yourself perfectly for the BTCC. Anyone starting out is going to have a baptism of fire.
"The way we're doing it this year is the way most people should be trying to do it.
"I always thought the Audi had potential last year and it works for AmD because we have a big presence with Audi as a tuning company.
"Our aim this year is to get in the points, that will be target achieved for me."
Hamilton's entry brings the 2015 grid to 32 cars, though he and the Motorbase Fords will miss the opening few rounds.
2015 BTCC LINE-UP
MG
Andrew Jordan, Jack Goff
Honda
Matt Neal, Gordon Shedden
Infiniti
Richard Hawken, Derek Palmer Jr
WSR BMW
Andy Priaulx, Sam Tordoff, Rob Collard
Team Parker Ford
Alex Martin
Team BMR VW
Colin Turkington, Jason Plato, Aron Smith, Warren Scott
Ciceley Racing Mercedes
Adam Morgan
Eurotech Honda
Jeff Smith, Martin Depper
Rob Austin Racing Audi
Rob Austin, Hunter Abbott
Aiden Moffat Racing Mercedes
Aiden Moffat
AmD Ford
Mike Bushell
AmD Audi (partial campaign from Croft)
Nicolas Hamilton
Welch Motorsport Proton
Andy Wilmot, Dan Welch
Speedworks Motorsport Toyota
Tom Ingram, Simon Belcher (Handy Motorsport)
Team Hard Toyota
Kieran Gallagher
Power Maxed Chevrolet
Dave Newsham, Josh Cook
Houseman Racing
Stewart Lines
Motorbase Ford (from Snetterton)
Mat Jackson, James Cole
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