Nicolas Hamilton is a 32-year-old British racing driver who currently competes in the British Touring Car Championship. He is also known to be the half-brother of seven-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton.
Despite living with cerebral palsy, Nicolas has been able to amass an approximate net worth of about $ 3 million from his 13 years-long racing career. According to him, his condition has motivated him, even more, to realize his dreams and push for equal opportunities and diversity.
- Full Name: Nicolas Carl Hamilton
- Date of Birth: 28 March 1992
- Age: 32 years old
- Zodiac Sign: Aries
- Place of Birth: Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England
- Parents: Anthony Hamilton and Linda Hamilton
- Siblings: Lewis Hamilton
- Nationality: British
- Sexuality: Straight
- Girlfriend: Sophie Hamshere
Nicolas Hamilton’s Early Life Background
Nicolas was born on 28 March 1992 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England to his parents Anthony Hamilton and Linda Hamilton. As earlier captured, he is currently 32 years old.
Nicolas is not his parents’ only child as he is known to have a half-older brother, Lewis Hamilton, 39. Not much is known about his mother but his father was an IT manager who had to work as many as 4 jobs at once including dishwashing, double-glazing salesperson, and putting up signs for estate agents especially to support his brother’s racing career. More so, his father also worked as his older brother’s manager before being relieved in 2010.
He Was Born Prematurely with Cerebral Palsy
Nicolas was born prematurely at 31 weeks weighing just 4lb 4oz and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a condition that leads to severe problems with movement, posture, and coordination. As he grew, he found it impossible to walk. He underwent a significant procedure to release the tendons in his ankles, knees, and groin when he was 4 years old. He started using a small frame to help him walk once the plaster was taken off eight weeks later. At age 15, he returned to moving with a kart.
Although Nic has said when he was a child, he used to cry himself to sleep because he never understood why he was chosen to have this disability, he later made up his mind to develop his leg muscles by walking as much as he could unaided, which wasn’t so easy. He said he had to train hard in the gym to strengthen his arm, hand, and leg muscles to make sure that he minimizes the disadvantage of his disability when driving.
Hamilton said he was close to not making it from birth but he is now grateful that he was able to fight it through. According to him, there are thousands of babies that are in this situation, and 1 in 500 children is diagnosed with CP but he appreciated his parents for never ever giving up on him as he turned out well, healthy & happy.
For him, riding a bike with stabilizers was another thing he did frequently while growing up. With his legs being so tight, his feet would always fall off of the pedals when he tried to cycle. So, his mum strapped them on the pedals. This meant that If he fell, he would fall with the bike, as he was attached to it. Despite the difficulty, this helped him to be able to walk.
Following his troubles, Nic said he couldn’t be prouder of the way he now walks. He has encouraged people with cerebral palsy not to shy away from the condition. In his words,
you have what you have & you have to deal with what you have been given in the best way you possibly can.
He has encouraged children & parents out there to be proud and ambitious & embrace the fight because it never stops.
For Nic, he is just one of the many people in this world who can show you the endless possibilities and a positive future for children with cerebral palsy, even through the times that may seem totally impossible.
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Nicolas Hamilton Made His Racing Debut in 2011
From the time Nicolas was born, his parents took him every weekend with them to watch different people race. He admitted to becoming a real racing nerd who knew all the drivers and talked about karting all the time.
Anthony, Nic’s father, urged him to pursue a career in motorsport early on, and Nicolas has watched Lewis, his older brother achieve success after success in karting, Formula Three, GP 2, and ultimately F1.
Nic later began to race himself. However, he said when he got into a kart the noise scared him. He was also worried that he wouldn’t be able to control the brake with his foot.
However, his father encouraged him, making him believe that he could do it. Nic said when he drove a kart for the first time in an empty car park, he hit a high kerb and went over a drop into 6in of water. Despite this, he persevered and with much effort and determination, he made his racing debut in the Renault Clio Cup United Kingdom in 2011 driving for Total Control Racing. More so, Nicolas races with a specially-modified car due to his condition.
Despite coming in last in his maiden race, he earned a lot of admirers and media attention. His first season was the subject of a BBC documentary entitled Racing with the Hamiltons: Nic in the Driving Seat.
With the passing of years, the racer moved up to the European Touring Car Cup in 2013. He also drove a SEAT León Supercopa for Baporo Motorsport In 2015.
Hamilton later secured a deal with AmD Tuning in 2015 to race an Audi S3 in five rounds of the British Touring Car Championship, becoming the first disabled driver to compete in the series.
In 2019, Nic secured a full-time drive with Motorbase Performance along with Tom Chilton and Ollie Jackson.
Moving on Hamilton was confirmed as the fourth Team HARD driver in a Volkswagen CC, retaining his ROKiT sponsorship on 21 February 2020. Hamilton earned his first-ever BTCC point in the round 2 championship’s last race at Brands Hatch after placing 15th overall.
His Brother is an Accomplished Racer
As earlier captured, Nic’s older brother, Lewis Hamilton is also a racer who has been widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers of all time. He currently competes in Formula One, driving for Mercedes. In Formula One, Lewis has won a joint-record seven World Drivers’ Championship titles, (tied with Michael Schumacher). He was also listed in the 2020 issue of Time as one of the 100 most influential people globally and was knighted in the 2021 New Year Honours.
How Rich Is Nicolas Hamilton’s Brother Compared to Him?
Nicolas has the same passion for motorsports as his brother Lewis. From his career, Nicholas has earned about $ 3 million according to reports. However, according to celebrity net worth, Nico’s brother, Lewis Hamilton earns a much higher amount. Lewis’ net worth is pegged at a whopping $285 million. In a typical year, he makes $50 million, the majority of which comes from his Mercedes contract that pays $40 million per year.
Is Nicolas Married?
The answer to that is no. Although Nicolas is not yet married, he has been dating Sophie Hamshere, an online nutrition and fitness coach. According to Nic’s Instagram, he has been with Sophie for roughly 7 years, and the two are frequently pictured enjoying romantic moments together.
