Team Toyota GB with Speedworks Motorsport's preparations for the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship are coming to a head, with the outfit welcoming world-class engine lubricant company Motul to the fold as sponsors this season.

Speedworks has enjoyed a hot-streak in Britain's top flight in recent years and, having secured the manufacturer support of Toyota GB, is hoping to up the ante yet further this year with its all-new Corolla almost ready to break cover.

Tom Ingram will make the switch from the venerable Toyota Avensis that saw him take nine race wins and consecutive Independent Teams' and Drivers' trophies in 2017 and 2018.

Team Principal Christian Dick is delighted with how the outfit's new-build machine has come together, and is sure that Motul's expanded backing, via UK distributor Witham Motorsport, will strengthen his squad's chances.

"Motul and Witham Motorsport have supported us since Tom came on board in 2014 and have become a major part of the team," said Dick. "Their support has been infallible and we look forward to embarking on this new chapter with them.

"Good quality oil and fluids always improves performance so we’re delighted to be working with Motul and Witham Motorsport for what I hope will be our best season yet”.

"The Corolla's coming together nicely. It finally looks like a car, after so much hard work. You spend a lot of time working on the build and finish days looking like nothing has changed but to see it there, as almost the finished article, is fantastic.

"The build's pretty much there and we only lost four or five days to things like slippage from suppliers that you'd expect to factor in anyway. The car has been running, albeit only in the workshop. We've completed system checks and made sure everything's as it should be under the skin. We're looking good."

Witham Motorsport has enjoyed an longstanding relationship with Speedworks and the BTCC. Sales Director Richard Scarborough intimated his excitement at bolstering its involvement.

“We’re thrilled to be sponsoring, and supplying Motul lubricants, to Speedworks and Tom Ingram for a fifth consecutive year in the BTCC. This year marks an exciting new chapter after gaining factory backing from Toyota GB, which will no doubt help push for the overall BTCC title."

With the finishing touches being put in place on the new Corolla, Dick confirmed the team are due to head out on-track for the first time next week at a UK venue ahead of a trip to Spain for an extended testing programme.

"Tom (Ingram) has been in and around the process looking like a kid in a sweet shop," added Dick. "His seat fittings been done and he can't wait to get out there and get going.

"We'll be hitting a UK circuit next week, which will be made known shortly, before heading off to Spain for a comprehensive testing schedule at the beginning of March.

"Stress levels and the amount of work involved in bringing this all together since Toyota came on-board have ensured that I haven't had time for it to all properly sink in yet.

"When the car rolls out onto a race-track for the first time next week, I'm sure there'll be a great sense of pride in what everyone here has achieved over this off-season."

Jason Plato will join Power Maxed Racing for the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, reuniting the double champion with the Vauxhall brand.

Plato has won more races than any other driver in the history of the BTCC, tallying 96 wins in his 20 years in the championship, and has been in contention for the title at the finale nine times in the last 15 campaigns. Fittingly, the first of his championships came back in 2001, following a memorable season-long scrap with team-mate Yvan Muller with the pair driving Vauxhall Astras.

The BTCC legend sees the move to PMR as the perfect opportunity.

“Although they finished tied second on points in the Teams' standings last season, PMR is still a relatively young outfit in the BTCC," started Plato. "However, there is a strong team of very experienced and talented personnel behind the scenes working incredibly hard to make sure they can continue to challenge at the front from the off this season. Their collective ambition, motivation and desire to win their first championship made this the perfect opportunity for me.

"The decision for me to get involved with PMR just became easier and easier the more time I spent with them. It’s an incredible team of people, many of whom I’ve worked with before and very successfully too, like Martin Broadhurst - the Team Manager. It’s something very serious that Adam (Weaver) has put together at PMR, he’s not playing, it’s clear his intention has never ever been to make up the numbers, he wants to win, as do I!”

The team has undertaken an extensive winter development program and is champing at the bit for a return to competitive action.

Team Principal, Adam Weaver said: “The signing of a proven champion and race winner fits perfectly with our stated ambition to win the Drivers' title in our fifth season. Can we do it? We are under no illusions that the series will be tougher than ever in 2019, but we are putting the ingredients in place and are up for the challenge.

"With significant developments in carefully selected areas it will certainly help us build upon a very successful 2018 season and after signing another proven driver - this time a multiple championship winner with 96 race wins. We are understandably extremely positive about the season ahead - here’s to getting reaching the century.”

Broadhurst added: “Working with Jason again is something I’m very excited about. It’s difficult not to be; he’s had the most race wins in the history of the championship which certainly makes him our most successful driver signing. This brings new and added pressures in terms of our performance, but we are ready for the challenge.”

PMR intends to announce the identity of Jason Plato’s team-mate within the next week, ahead of pre-season testing, followed by further news on our brand partnerships prior to the season opener at Brands Hatch in April.

Senna Proctor will join BMR Racing for the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, with the outfit retaining the backing of Subaru (UK) and Adrian Flux Insurance Services.

Proctor joined the team's BMR Academy in 2015, competing in the Ginetta Junior Championship. From there, he progressed into the Renault UK Clio Cup under the BMR banner before making his BTCC debut in 2017 with Power Maxed Racing, winning the overall Jack Sears Trophy.

"I am very excited to be returning to BMR Racing for 2019," said Proctor. "When the call came in everything seemed to fit perfectly and it was an easy decision to make. Having raced under the BMR banner in 2015 and 2016, I felt the timing was right. 

“I would like to thank everyone at BMR for putting their faith in me. I can’t wait to get out testing and sample the Subaru Levorg – I think rear-wheel drive will really suit my style.

“After two successful years in the BTCC, I have found my feet and I am ready for the next step. My aim this year is to win races and to be in with a shot of the title come the last round of the season.”

Additionally, BMR confirmed title sponsor Adrian Flux Insurance Services has renewed their contract with the team, alongside the retention of manufacturer backing from Subaru (UK).

Paul Tunnicliffe, Subaru (UK) Managing Director, said: “There's much more to come from our involvement in the BTCC. Delighted though we were with Ash Sutton’s epic Drivers' title in 2017, we feel the superiority of the Subaru Levorg really deserves victory in the Manufacturers’ championship. 

"Senna’s signing is the first step towards achieving this goal. He is a fitting driver to represent Subaru in this prestigious championship, and we expect to see him challenging for the top honours from the get-go. We can’t wait for Brands Hatch in April!”

Adrian Flux Insurance Services General Manager Gerry Bucke added: “Adrian Flux is delighted to be supporting BMR Racing for a fourth consecutive season alongside Subaru (UK).

“We’re massive fans of British motorsport, and touring cars is one of the most exciting championships in the country.

“BMR has a committed team with members who work hard during the good times and pull together in the more challenging times.

"As title sponsor, we’re really looking forward to an exciting season of racing.”

A delighted Micky Sergeant, BMR Racing Team Manager, welcomed Proctor to the stable and doubled down on the team's title ambitions for the campaign ahead.

“It is an absolute pleasure to have Senna on-board and to renew our contracts with both Adrian Flux Insurance Services and Subaru (UK)," said Sergeant.

“Senna has unfinished business at BMR and he's heading back to his roots, where his past rear-wheel drive experience saw him finish runner-up in a Ginetta as a BMR Academy driver in 2015.

"Winning the Jack Sears Trophy in his maiden BTCC year puts him in good company and his first win in 2018, along with a brace of podiums and a dozen top ten finishes, certainly makes him one to watch again in 2019.

“Last year saw an even more competitive BTCC than ever before and we are very excited to be able to contest the championship titles once again with the Subaru Levorg in collaboration with Adrian Flux. Our aim is to continually develop every area of the team to ensure that the results speak for themselves.

“The news has given the team a boost of excitement and it really is a true testament to all of their hard work last year, we can’t wait for the first round at Brands Hatch in April.”

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher pairing Tom Chilton and new-boy Ollie Jackson were out testing at Brands Hatch last Thursday, with the Kent outfit evaluating changes under the skin of its 2019 competitor ahead of a comprehensive test in Spain in early March.

Tom Chilton's back and in fine fettle ahead of the 2019 BTCC. With all three Motorbase-run Focuses having undergone complete rebuilds and a host of changes underneath the bodywork, Chilton has prepped to match. He's eyeing going better still than third in the Drivers' standings this time around.

The outfit means business, illustrated, to Chilton's delight, by an ambitious in-season testing plan encompassing more test days than the Surrey driver has been a part of in any given season in 16 years in the BTCC.

"Thursday was spent getting to know the newly-rebuilt cars again after a lot of work over the winter," he started. "Everything's new in effect under the skin for the Focus'. We've made little refinements all over the car that will add up.

"The team have stripped everything back to bare metal for a complete rebuild across all three cars with the intention of going better still in terms of what we put out on track last year. Simple things like new brake seals and calipers to new clutches and engines - it's all been taken care of in the best possible manner by Motorbase and our partners.

"The first thing you want to do in a shakedown is get out there and feel where things are at. We were on old tyres but each of us got faster, as you'd hope, as the day went on. 

"This is all in readiness for what I'm hoping will be 1000 kilometres over four days in Spain at Calafat. I'm more ready than I've ever been. I put myself on a training camp to get in the best possible shape ahead of testing and I trimmed another five kilograms off my weight at the end of that. I'm doing all I can and so are the team. We've got a good number booked in over the course of this season - more, in fact than I've ever had in a single BTCC season before."

Chilton's confident that, even at this early stage, the team has made a jump in performance. He and his new stablemates have gelled well already, and he's hoping that will bear fruit as the trio look to push each other, as well as the Ford Focus RS, on in 2019.

"I got a good feel for the difference that the work over the off-season has made, even if we weren't really all guns blazing in terms of pushing the car," continued Chilton. "There's enough there though, from the off, for me to feel a strong step in the right direction. We need to get a handle on setup to look after the tyres at the likes of Thruxton, particularly as we visit twice this year. We struggled in hot conditions in 2018 and we've made refinements to combat that.

"My team-mates all managed much the same times as I did with the same car underneath them. It's so close. Ollie (Jackson) is someone who's been racing concurrently with me in the BTCC for a good while now. He's someone I know and someone who's style I know and get on with really well. He's taken to the team so quickly. He's flying and he's right on my pace which bodes well for developing the car. 

"It was the first time I'd met Nic (Hamilton) and he's just such a top bloke. He works incredibly hard - I've already seen that. More than that though, he's gifted. He was taken aback by the amount of options he had open to him in terms of tailoring the car to his liking.

"Coming from the Renault UK Clio Cup, there's far more that you can customise on a BTCC car. They both look like the models you see on the road but the BTCC car is very much a bespoke racing car under the skin. He's getting used to all of the tweaks that can be made - everything from pitch and balance to his seating position. There's just more that can be done across the board but it helps that Motorbase have built a very driveable car from the off. I really look forward to working with him, and I know Ollie is too. All three of us are pushing each other on, as well as the car.

"West Surrey Racing and Team Dynamics will be right up there early on, they always are there or thereabouts, and for good reason. That said, we can hit the ground running. With Speedworks and Toyota coming together with a new car, it'll be a big shakeup for them. I feel Matt Neal and Dan Cammish will be strong early on in the second season running the current-generation Civic Type R."

Ollie Jackson's making his Motorbase return with Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher this season, having moved from AmD Tuning over the course of the off-season. He echoed the thoughts of Chilton on a good day's work at Brands Hatch last week.

"It was a really good day’s running and a productive outing for us," said Jackson. "It was primarily a shakedown of the car, really, but we managed to get some ground covered in the afternoon. It was great to get settled back into familiar surroundings and reacquaint myself with some familiar faces!

"The Focus feels really strong, really very good. There have been some tweaks under the skin over the course of the winter and they have made a little difference. The damping’s brilliant and it’s a good stable car. We’re off to Spain in a couple of weeks and for me, that’ll be about getting used to the finer points and learning how to gel with it and get the most out of it."

"All three drivers were out on track on Thursday, and each has a different setup so we run all three cars to suit," added Team Manager Oly Collins. "They work hard with their respective engineers and go down their own routes to ensure the car's to their liking.

"It went brilliantly and exactly to plan. There are always a couple of minor gremlins to sort but nothing that limited our running and nothing out of the ordinary. We'll be heading to Calafat in Spain for four days in early March and this is all about being ready to test intensively there. We had a few changes under the skin of the Fords that we wanted to get a look at on track, so it was productive in that sense too.

"It's great to see Ollie (Jackson) back. He settled in right away - he was here the year I started! He's in the groove already. Tom (Chilton) has come back his usual self and was bang on it from the off, too."

Motorbase Performance fielded all three of its cars at Brands Hatch last Thursday, as the Kent outfit looks to bed in new drivers and changes under the skin of its Ford Focus RS ahead of testing in Spain in two weeks' time.

In the red-and-black ROCKiT-backed corner of the stable in 2019 is new recruit Nic Hamilton. The Stevenage driver makes the jump into a first full BTCC campaign after a stint in the Renault UK Clio Cup. He spoke of his delight at sealing the deal with Motorbase and intimated his excitement about what's to come.

"Thursday was surreal," said Hamilton. "I’m so grateful for the opportunity that Motorbase have given me; they’ve been amazing. I am so happy to be here and I couldn’t have wished for a better team to be a part of.

"The professionalism is just incredible. Rich (Benton), my engineer, is a passionate guy and he kept me focussed and fired up in-session. It’s a new challenge for him engineering me, and it’s a new challenge for me as I try to learn and develop myself into a race-winning driver.

"I am so excited that things are underway, and I can't wait for Brands Hatch. It really is my first crack at the BTCC and it’s all new. I had four appearances in 2015 in the Audi S3 Saloon and I haven’t driven a BTCC car since, so it was really a bit of a distant memory for me and a case of starting afresh.

"It was a bit daunting at first, but everything went perfectly for me in-car. There’s little comparison to the Clio Cup. Everything's different and the Focus was just incredible. Even if I didn’t particularly lean on it through the shakedown, you still get the feel of the insane amount of grip available.

"I'm super comfortable in the car already and really, it was the first proper shakedown I’ve ever been involved in. It was a bit greasy in the morning but the car felt good. I was getting faster all day and set my best time right at the end, which was about as perfect as it could have been.

"It was my first outing with the modifications and my seat mould. It was all about getting that feel and comfort right first off so I know what to expect ahead of the mileage we plan to do in Spain at the beginning of March. I'm sure I'll be feeling it after that but it's all part of it! I'll be ready."

Hamilton has designs on forging a long-term BTCC career, and has tailored his maiden season's expectations with that in mind. Personal development, making use of all of the experience from his stablemates over in the yellow corner at Motorbase, alongside doing his team justice is the priority.

"We will be as prepared as we possibly can be come Season Launch and whether that means P5 or P25, we will work with that and develop from there. I really want to do the team and the car justice and it’s such a bonus having Tom Chilton and Ollie Jackson to work with.

"Those guys have incredible knowledge of the championship – Tom’s been there 16 years, I think. They’ve got so much experience and they’ll be a massive help in giving me a strong base to work from. The closer I can get to them, the better.

"I know what I need from the car. It’s about keeping everything as simple as possible. Motorbase have been so accommodating and they are really going the extra mile for me. They’ve given me the freedom, right down to picking ridged pedals for better feel.

"This is an opportunity to develop a career in the BTCC and that is my aim. I was so proud leaving the pit-lane yesterday."

Team Manager Oly Collins was happy with a productive initial outing for the team.

"All three drivers were out on track on Thursday," said Team Manager Oly Collins. "We did around 50 laps per car in what was predominantly an initial shakedown.

"It went brilliantly and exactly to plan. It's been a learning process for us and for Nic. We've applied similar adaptions to those he ran in 2015 in the BTCC. He finds that they suit him and his style well.

"We've been working through everything on the car that can be tailored to suit his setup and balance preferences, as well as all the additional things we can do with a BTCC car in terms of seating position and comfort as opposed to the Renault UK Clio Cup cars that he's been more accustomed to. 

"All three guys were very close on track and it bodes well ahead of a busy schedule out at Calafat in Spain prior to Season Launch."

BTC Racing has confirmed that Josh Cook will complete its 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship line-up.

The BTCC race winner, and former Jack Sears Trophy champion, will join the fold alongside Chris Smiley. It will be Cook’s first outing in a Honda Civic Type R in the BTCC and he hopes to make a big impact on the championship after enjoying his best season yet in 2018.

“This is a really exciting opportunity for me as there is huge potential for us to get some great results for BTC Racing in 2019 and beyond,” said Cook. “The Honda Civic is a car that I’ve wanted to race for some time and BTC Racing is undeniably a team that has made an impressive entry to the BTCC in the last two years.

“Having met with the Steve (Dudman), Bert (Taylor) and the team at their impressive new facilities in Brackley, it’s already very clear that we all share the same objectives and desire to succeed this season. They have all the personnel and resources to give me a great chance to be fighting for championship honours this year and give me my best chance to-date at becoming a BTCC champion.”

“We are continuing our journey this year with more confidence and knowledge than we started with last season for sure, and Josh is now a race winner since I last worked with him,” added Team Engineer Ben Taylor.

“We are continually looking to improve our performance further after the bar we set ourselves during the 2018 season. After a good first season with the Hondas, and with support from Team Dynamics, we believe the car will be even better this year. Our aim is to close the gap and turn ourselves into front-runners every weekend and we are confident that together with both Josh and Chris on board we have the best line-up to achieve this.”

Team Principal Bert Taylor is delighted with the signing of Cook, and is eagerly anticipating the 2019 campaign with the opportunities that the move presents for both driver and team.

“I’ve known Josh from day one of his touring car career, where he has consistently shown the same passion and desire that we have here at BTC Racing to succeed. He’s already a proven race winner and signing him for this season fits the team’s ethos of hard work at every level as we strive for success. Josh has all the credentials to be a future BTCC champion.

“As a team, we love being part of the BTCC. It’s a highly competitive championship, with lots of top-class drivers and teams. We are a small privately-run outfit, but we feel we can improve on last year and make 2019 an even more exciting season with our two drivers.”

Dan Rowbottom joins the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this year with Ciceley Motorsport-backed Cataclean Racing, and the newcomer has been on quite the journey on his way to a dream seat in Britain's top-tier.

The Midlander made his TOCA package debut in 2008, competing in the SEAT Cupra Cup. When the Spanish marque's championship left the fold at the end of that year, Rowbottom was left in something of a black hole, with his focus having been placed on making the best of it in SEAT's competition. 

After that, Rowbottom endured seven years away from the grid while carefully plotting a 'dream' return to the sport at the opportune moment with a proposal he made to his title partner, Cataclean.

"My last full season before I restarted my career was in the 2008 SEAT Cupra Cup. We finished at the end of that year and the issue was the championship leaving the TOCA package.

"We'd put everything into that, and we had to recover and go back to the drawing board. I was 20, or 21-years-old back then and when you walk into boardrooms at that age as a racing driver the reaction can be quite glib.

"It took me a long time to grasp the business side of things, which we've managed to do. We got in touch with Cataclean at the end of 2016 and they were looking to make the brand a household name. I proposed this package, starting with the Renault UK Clio Cup and encompassing this move into the BTCC. It all happened very quickly, from doing no racing to being a BTCC driver over the course of three seasons really.

"It's about having the support and the vision as well as picking your moment and having the timing on your side. Everything came together and our paths converged. First and foremost, the business side works. That's the precursor to winning races. 

"It's a dream come true to be here but it does feel almost ten years too late. I'd promised myself in my teens that I'd be a BTCC driver before long but here we are!"

Unveiling a BTCC car with his name on it, emblazoned with Cataclean logos – the fruit of a carefully nurtured relationship that works all-round for driver and sponsor alike – was an emotional moment for the Kidderminster racer. This year's competitive action will see the slate wiped clean, and a fresh crack at motorsport; this time, right at the pinnacle.

"It was surreal and emotional to see the car unveiled. You go through the the ringer trying to get everything together and make it all happen. I'm now more hungry than I was back in my early twenties. I'd like to think people will look at the story and see that someone with no family money can put the work and effort in and get to the pinnacle of British motorsport – it is possible. 

"We've got to now prove we can do it now we're here and everything starts again from zero now. We had a really hard year in 2018. It didn't go the way we wanted it to from a driver's perspective and probably from a personal perspective in the way the season panned out. We're wiping the slate clean but continuing with Cataclean, our fantastic partners. They're the stars and the people that have made all this come to fruition."

On his prospects for 2019, he's under no illusions as to the level of competition in the championship but in the early stages of his BTCC career, just getting behind the wheel of an NGTC car is the source of much excitement. Helpfully, in Adam Morgan, he has a perfect benchmark and somebody in the stable that will be invaluable as he cuts his teeth.

"You're never going to have 30 good races in a touring car. On those days where you're half-a-second or three-tenths off, you need someone reliable to bounce off. If Adam (Morgan) is also losing three-tenths then we know we've missed something in the car. It's a psychological 'pull your finger out' or 'don't panic'.

"We're off to Spain early in March at Circuit Calafat and from there it depends how far away from Adam as to how much more testing I do. I have tested already in the wet at Silverstone and it was just unbelievable. I can't wait to get back in it. I just want to drive it!"

The best of UK motorsport came together this past weekend for one of the marquee events in the British Automobile Racing Club calendar, the prestigious BARC Championship Awards Evening.

More than 200 drivers, marshals, officials and leading BARC figures were collectively in attendance at Chesford Grange Hotel during the evening, again hosted by the superlative Alan Hyde.

Leading the illustrious list of winners was Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship victor Colin Turkington, whose title-winning West Surrey Racing BMW 125i M-Sport took pride of place in the main room.

Elsewhere at the venue Stuart Coombs’ Mighty Mini, Lewis Saunders’s Junior Saloon Car and Jon Curry’s Caterham were also on display for all to see, turning heads and drawing plenty of attention throughout the night.

With a mesmerising and deserving list of champions being honoured throughout the evening, those in attendance also had the opportunity to look back on some of the best bits from each championship too.

Alongside the customary championship awards were a further three secret accolades, all of which were handed out to unsuspecting winners. The Densley Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding female driver in the BARC, went the way of BARC Clubmans Sports Prototype Championship in association with King Henry’s Taverns CSP2 champion Michelle Hayward, who delivered an emphatic performance throughout the 2018 campaign.

The Peter Collins Memorial Trophy, which is bestowed upon the most promising newcomer competing at BARC events during the year was awarded to Lewis Saunders, who stole the show in the Junior Saloon Car Championship.

Max5 Racing champion Paul Roddison meanwhile scooped The Presidents Cup, presented to the most successful driver competing below International level after producing an astonishing performance in 2018 on the way to the title.

Two marshals also shared the spotlight on the night too as Dave Hodgson picked up the coveted BARC Marshal of the Year award. Meanwhile Ken Watts lifted The Sir Clive Bossom Trophy virtue of completing the most volunteering days over the course of 2018, 30 in total.

Capping off the list of winners was Sonny Howard, who was awarded with the coveted Gerry Marshall Trophy. Bestowed upon a driver or BARC member that the BARC believes epitomises Gerry Marshall’s philosophy to motorsport, with Howard fitting the bill perfectly.

Having been a significant force behind the Pickup Truck Racing Championship and a variety of other BARC categories as well, Howard was honoured for his outstanding service to motorsport - upon which he has always gone above and beyond to serve down the years.

Passing comment on a momentous evening of celebrations, BARC Chief Operating Officer Drew Furlong said: “The annual BARC Championship Awards Evening is always a memorable night and a fitting way to celebrate those who succeeded last year.

“The 2018 season proved to be another spectacular year for the Club and its championships with an abundance of edge-of-the-seat thrills and entertainment being provided throughout.

“Returning to Chesford Grange, having cars on site was a fantastic touch and they all looked fantastic situated around the venue. Every award was richly deserved and the evening has set us up to kick the 2019 season off in fine style in roughly a months time."

In addition to the prize-giving, a total of £1860 was raised and donated on the night to the BARC Marshals and Rescue Fund.

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 ROKiT-sponsored Motorbase Performance Ford Focus RS.

Hamilton contested 12 rounds of the UK’s premier motor racing championship in 2015 at the wheel of an Audi S3, but now the brother of five-time world champion Lewis says he is chomping at the bit to get his teeth into a full 30-race programme.

The 26-year-old said: “I cannot actually believe that I will be back on the BTCC grid this year. I have been in and out of different series since I started racing due to a lack of funding and general support.

“A lot of people assume that due to my name, I will have all of the funding in the world, but this could not be any further from the truth. I have been on my own for the past six years, grinding away, trying to get a full season under my belt with all of the support I need.

“I have not had a continuous career in motorsport that allows me to work on my foundation. I have just been testing at the races, doing a decent job due to my funding level and experience, but getting judged on who I am related to.”

Hamilton 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.

“I am very proud that I finally get this chance to have a full crack at motorsport and to be doing it in the BTCC, driving for a competitive outfit such as Motorbase Performance, is unbelievable,” added Hamilton. “It gives me great pride in knowing that, when I sit in my car this year, I did it all off my own back and I can’t wait to get started.

“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.

 “I have a new title partner this year, ROKiT, an exciting new telco brand challenging the status quo. They offer premium smartphones technology, performance and design at an affordable price, as well as installing innovative Wi-Fi networks to make the world a better place. I am absolutely honoured to be representing them in 2019.”

“As well as having ROKiT on-board, each specific relationship I have with my additional partners is very personal to me. Each brand/company has their own story behind their support for me and I am truly grateful. Monster Energy, BigChange, DUO PLC, PalmerSport, PUMA Motorsport, Arai Helmets and NGK Spark Plugs. Without their collective support, an opportunity like this would be impossible.”

ROKiT, Hamilton’s new title sponsor, is a telecommunications company launching its glasses-free 3D-capable Android smartphones in the UK and US later this year.

The company's lifestyle package, ‘ROK Life Services’ includes vehicle breakdown, recovery and Home Start, plus lost or broken key cover and worldwide Personal Accident insurance, while it is also working internationally to develop smart cities with groundbreaking mesh Wi-Fi networks.

Motorbase Performance Team Principal David Bartrum said he was delighted to be welcoming Hamilton into the Kent-based squad.

“I’m looking forward to Nic joining us in the BTCC. He brings a different type of journey for us to go on with him. He also brings with him a steely determination, a willingness to learn and a craving to succeed.

“From what I’ve of Nic so far, his approach is very professional and I would defy anyone to spend five minutes in his company not to be inspired by him.

“We have a very good pre-season test schedule to give him time to acquaint himself with the team and his new car to give him the best chance possible.”

Hamilton joins Tom Chilton and Ollie Jackson in the three-car Motorbase Performance-run line-up, competing under the ROKiT with Motorbase banner.