SITTING inside a dirty room, unwashed and slurping a Pot Noodle, Nicolas Hamilton broke down in tears before his computer screen. 

The 32-year-old – the half-brother of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis – had frittered away thousands on gambling in a six-month binge and spiralled into a deep depression that left him on the brink of suicide.

Lewis Hamilton helped to inspire his half-brother Nicolas to get into racing
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Lewis Hamilton helped to inspire his half-brother Nicolas to get into racingCredit: Instagram / @lewishamilton

Nicolas says he and Lewis remain each other's 'No1 fans'
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Nicolas says he and Lewis remain each other’s ‘No1 fans’Credit: Getty

The 32-year-old made history at the 2015 BTCC racing against able-bodied drivers
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The 32-year-old made history at the 2015 BTCC racing against able-bodied driversCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
What started as a £2 bet on Arsenal scoring developed into an “all-consuming” addiction to online casinos and blackjack that rarely saw him leave his room in 2017.

Two years earlier Nicolas, who has a form of cerebral palsy, had made history as the first disabled driver to go up against able-bodied racers in the British Touring Car Championship.

He was forced to sell off his “pride and joy”, a midnight blue Mercedes C63 gifted to him by Lewis, to settle a hefty tax bill that he couldn’t afford due to his gambling and “naivety” about finances.

In his memoir Now That I Have Your Attention, Nicolas speaks out about that dark time, which left him on the verge of ending his life.