Hamilton explains undercover BTCC spectator outing to support brother Nicolas

Last Sunday, the Mercedes driver teased a picture on his Instagram story wearing a face mask, which he later revealed was part of an effort to watch the season-opening British Touring Car Championship action without attracting much attention.

Although he was spotted in the paddock observing his brother’s race day preparations with his Team Hard squad, Hamilton was able to spend time trackside – particularly enjoying the second race where Nicolas, who has cerebral palsy and races with a specially adapted hand clutch on his 2023 Cupra Leon, became a central part of the dry/wet event’s story.

After pitting at the end of the formation lap to take wet weather tyres, Nicolas Hamilton battled his way up to finish seventh on the road, which became sixth post-race, as he narrowly missed out on taking the Independents' class victory to Power Maxed Racing's Mikey Doble.

“My brother, who I’m incredibly proud of, continues to be such a great voice,” said Lewis Hamilton when asked about his trip ahead of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. “Every year he raises his own money [to go racing].

“He’s obviously racing in a series and a sport where there is not a lot of access… there is no access for people who particularly are disabled. And he stands for so much.

Nicolas Hamilton, Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown Cupra Leon

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

“It’s been difficult – he’s been fighting to try and make up for the disability he has with his legs and it’s a continuous fight.

“But he got sixth in the race and I was just standing in the crowd just watching as a fan. I was so excited!

“And no one knew that I was there actually, I was just jumping up and down trying to support him. Very proud and excited for this weekend.

“The weather was perfect! He pitted on the first lap and so everyone else was on the slicks and he made it up.”

Nicolas Hamilton finished 21st, twice, in the other two BTCC races at Donington, as he began his third successive full-time campaign in the series.