BTCC legend Jason Plato was invited by the disabled drivers from Team Brit to spend the day learning how to race using just his hands. Team BRIT is aiming to compete in the Le Mans 24 hour series in 2024 in their adapted McLaren 570S GT4.

Team BRIT launched in 2015 with just one car and two drivers but this year they are running four cars across three championships, providing opportunities for eight disabled racing drivers. They are the only team of disabled drivers in Britain and one of only a few in the world.

The McLaren they race is fitted with cutting-edge hand controls to enable drivers with disabilities to compete on a level playing field with able-bodied drivers.

Plato took a seat behind the wheel of Team BRIT’s race simulator and got to grips with the intricacies of controlling the machine with his hands – the steering wheel houses the throttle, brake, upshift and downshift control. It’s simple but highly technological.

But having the controls on the steering wheel rendered Plato’s legs redundant. The BTCC star was told the best way to ignore the impulse to step on the clutch, brake or accelerator was to cross his legs.

He clearly got used to the experience because he then took the Team BRIT McLaren for a spin but admitted it was a very different driving experience mentally. He said his brain was having to work much harder than it normally would when he’s racing around a circuit. 

Despite that, he was advised that after 20 laps or so, he would probably be hitting his normal track times. 

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