Lewis Hamilton’s brother reacts after escaping fiery wreck at Silverstone

Nicolas Hamilton was ‘surprisingly very calm’ as his car burst into flames (Photo: Instagram/Jakob Ebrey)

Nicolas Hamilton, brother of F1 legend Sir Lewis Hamilton, was forced to make a quick escape when his car burst into flames at Silverstone over the weekend.

Hamilton, who has cerebal palsy, was taking part in the opening race of penultimate round of the British Touring Car Championship on Sunday, when the ‘scary’ incident occurred.

18 laps in, the 33-year-old was forced to quickly pull over his Un-Limited Motorsport Cupra Leon after the underside caught fire and smoke bellowed out from the bonnet, with the car engulfed in flames in just a matter of seconds.

The incident was especially worrying given Hamilton’s disability means it sometimes take longer for him to get out of the vehicle, but thankfully he was able to escape unaided and emerged unscathed.

‘What an amazing picture of a very disappointing & scary moment for me, my family & friends to start my Sunday at Silverstone,’ Hamilton later posted on Instagram.

‘I was surprisingly very calm throughout the whole situation, trying to save the car from any further damage whilst keeping myself safe & I am so proud of myself on how I handled the situation.’

Sunday was a bad day all round for the Hamilton brothers, with Lewis finishing a lowly eighth at the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where he was also criticised for ‘disrespecting’ his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.

Nicolas made a stunning return to motor racing this year, following a 20-month sabbatical, with Un-Limited Motorsport.

But the extent of the damage from the oil fire meant he was forced to withdraw from the day’s later two races and the Brit has now cast doubt over whether he’ll return for the final round of the BTCC on October 5.

‘After the fire, there is a question mark on whether I will be driving for the last round of the season at Brands Hatch next weekend,’ he added.

Hamilton’s car dramatically caught fire while racing round Silverstone (Photo: ITV) Hamilton was able to stop quickly and escape the car unaided (Photo: ITV) Marshalls were quickly on the scene but the car was quickly engulfed in flames (Photo: ITV)

‘But if I don’t get the opportunity to finish the season off, I want to thank absolutely everyone for getting behind me this year. Friends, family and sponsors for the continued love and support in helping me follow my dream and continue my journey.

‘I personally feel I have been driving the best I EVER have driven in the BTCC to date & I am so proud of my progress this year.’

While Hamilton is currently last in the standings, his continued presence on the grid has been an inspiring tale for disabled motor racing fans across the world.

Nicolas Hamilton returned to racing in 2025 (Photo: Getty) Nicolas and Lewis Hamilton continue to support each other on race weekends (Photo: Getty)

Born two months prematurely, he spent the first six weeks of his life in intensive care and was diagnosed with spastic diplegia at 18 months old, with doctors predicting he would never be able to walk or run.

‘My brother, who I’m incredibly proud of, continues to be such a great voice,’ Lewis said of Nicolas back in 2023.

‘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.

‘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. Very proud and excited.’

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