[antonowski]

Saw this on BBC Motorsport...

BBC Sport - Lewis Hamilton's brother Nicolas is BTCC's first disabled driver

What do you guys think? Is this completely down to Lewis's status as an F1 driver, or are the BTCC genuinely wanting to make a statement about disability and Motorsport?

I also wonder who had the final say as far as medicals are concerned, I'd like to think that it's not just a publicity stunt by AmD Tuning or the BTCC, and they are genuinely open to potential professional drivers with disabilities.

What do you reckon?

 

[rowbo]

He drove in the clip cup 2 seasons ago and was regularly buried in the tyre wall :laugh:

 

[rowbo]

His Clio was modified to his restricted ability so I'd imagine this car would be much the same

 

[deni.babe]

if he's up to the job good luck to him, he obviously feels he is capable and doesn't let his disability stand in his way..

 

[antonowski]

It would be nice to see some kind of inclusivity for disabled drivers, I guess it depends totally on the nature of the disability itself.

 

[antonowski]

if he's up to the job good luck to him, he obviously feels he is capable and doesn't let his disability stand in his way..

I agree, unfortunately Motorsport isn't just about the safety of any one individual. There's going to be a full grid of agressively competitive drivers at the highest level next to him.

Not that I'm for one minute insinuating that he will be unable to compete, as rowbo mentioned he has already, but we are talking about the BTCC here, not the Clio Cup.

Good luck to him as you stated.

 

[atom3624]

Everything I was thinking has already been written.

It's fantastic that people with varying levels of disability are being given opportunities not previously considered.
I DO wish him all the best.

There is that "BUT" and I am sorry. ... .sounds very unfair.

Let's see how he gets on. I've been to Oulton Park for the BTCC, and yes, he stuffed it.
Perhaps it was a control issue, which can be engineered out.

Safety for all drivers must be carefully considered and I'm sure it will have been.
Alan.

 

[bxlyheathsupra]

apparently in pre season testing he has been fairly competitive...

 

[Basinga]

I'm probably going to sound like the scumbag for saying it, but this is just how I see it. I believe his disability (and possibly his brother's fame/wealth) is being exploited for publicity purposes and it's not going to last very long. He has leapfrogged a lot of drivers with far more impressive career histories to land in the BTCC.
His racing career is only 3 years long and he's never won any races. In two full seasons of Clio cup racing, he only managed to finish in the top 10 three times, never getting better than ninth. 2013 he tried the European touring car cup, entered 6 out of the 10 races, finished four of them with a best finish of 7th (out of 10 competitors), then disappeared altogether for 2014. That's not the usual kind of record you see for a racing driver who gets promoted to a higher formula.

I'm all for equal opportunities, but this is not. By a long stretch. This is just like how disabled kids always get first pick of the sweets at parties, or always get to sit at the front at cinemas. That isn't equality, it's being singled out and put first because he's disabled and we want everyone to see he's being treated 'equally'...