NGK-sponsored Nicolas Hamilton will re-join the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship in 2019, for his first full assault on the series at the wheel of a Motorbase Performance Ford Focus RS.

Hamilton contested 12 rounds of the championship in 2015 at the wheel of an Audi S3, but now the brother of five-time world F1 champion Lewis says he is very excited about taking on a full 30-race programme.

Nicolas is being sponsored by NGK in the championship and visited the ignition specialist’s stand at the recent Autosport International Show at Birmingham’s NEC where he met NGK staff, customers and motorsport fans. Mark Hallam, Marketing Manager, NGK Spark Plugs said, “We are delighted to be sponsoring Nicolas in this year’s British Touring Car Championship. It was great to meet him at the Autosport International show and hear about his plans for 2019. I’m sure that all our customers who follow the BTCC will be supporting him on his return to the championship in what should be an exciting season.”

Nicolas will race a specially modified Ford Focus RS as he competes with cerebral palsy. The cars will be shaken down in mid-February before the Motorbase team heads to Spain for an intensive testing schedule ahead of the 2019 campaign. Nicolas commented, “I am still very inexperienced and am just going to take it all in my stride, do as best as I can, drive like I know I can, develop my craft and see where that takes me.”

The new Kwik Fit BTCC season kicks off at Brands Hatch in Kent on April 6/7 and the entire race days are broadcast live, free-to-air, on ITV4.