World's' only armless racing driver steers with his feet in bid to race at Le Mans

World's' only armless racing driver steers with his feet in bid to race at Le Mans Callum Smith and Harvey Phillips have joined Team BRIT as the squad works towards becoming the first fully disabled team to complete in the 24 hours of Le Mans The world’s only armless racing driver is chasing motorsport history after signing his first driver contract as he dreams of competing at Le Mans. Callum Smith, 23, steers with his left foot while using his right to accelerate and brake - and has already reached speeds of more than 110mph on track. The finance assistant from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, has joined Team BRIT, the world’s only competitive racing team made up entirely of disabled drivers, and is now working towards gaining his racing licence. His ultimate ambition is to become the first disabled driver to compete at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. Callum said: “I’m going to be the first person to be racing without any arms, the first one ever. I grew up in the motorsport world, my grandad was a massive biking fan and I loved it from such a young age. “Once I started getting into driving, I always had that self belief that I had what it took to be a racing driver and knew that I could do it. “Thankfully through Team BRIT, they recognise that and have given me my own opportunity not only to prove that but to also showcase my skills.” Callum was born without arms due to an unexplained bilateral upper-limb disability, but says it has never stopped him doing the things he loves. He first became fascinated by motorsport at the age of two while watching bike racing with his grandad, Michael Smith. His first track day came in July 2025, when he reached 90mph around Donington Park’s 2.5-mile circuit. In April, he hit 100mph on Silverstone’s 3.66-mile Grand Prix circuit in his own Audi A3. He is now getting to grips with Team BRIT’s modified BMW 1 Series at Donington Park as he prepares for the next stage of his racing career. The car has been fitted with a specially designed steering plate created by Jim Doran Hand Controls. Callum uses alternate limbs to control specific functions. He explained: “I use my left foot to steer, and then the right foot does everything else as normal. “On top of the accelerator I have an indicator switch - I have a Lodgesons Bleeper System which gives me buttons for the horn, main beam, window wipers etc. I steer with my left foot. It’s a steering wheel in the footwell that operates the steering wheel.” Using his feet for everyday tasks has been part of Callum’s life since childhood. He said: “My feet are like my hands - I write with my right foot, I play Xbox with my feet like FIFA and Call of Duty. I play guitar with my feet, and I eat by myself with and use a normal knife and fork.” His route into competitive racing began after he took a chance and emailed Team BRIT directly. Callum said: “The racing started off with an email to Team BRIT expressing my interest in racing and I said if they were interested in making my dreams come true, I’d be forever grateful. “They got back to me and I passed some tests with instructors and did a skid test - it went from there.” Before he can race competitively, Callum must secure his full racing licence, which includes proving he can release his harness and open the car door without help. On driving the race car, he said: “It’s hard, there’s a lot of eye to foot coordination. The biggest surprise to me is how heavy the steering feels in a race car, everything is stiffer. But I love it and I’m quite keen to get it sorted, I’m motivated to get it done. Confidence I’m not short of, but it’s going to be a lot of hard work.” Callum will be joined in Team BRIT’s latest driver line-up by quadruple amputee Harvey Phillips, 21, from Louth, Lincolnshire. Harvey lost parts of both legs, his right arm up to the elbow and fingers and thumbs on his left hand after suffering meningitis when he was nine months old. He drives using a lever to accelerate and brake, while a 3D-printed cup attached to his right arm allows him to steer. Harvey said: “Driving this car was fun. To accelerate and brake I have a lever, I twist it down to accelerate and push it down towards the dash to brake. I have a 3D printed cup to slot my right arm into to turn the steering wheel.” Looking ahead, Harvey added: “Getting comfortable with the car and getting a race pace down are the main aims for me. The team’s ultimate goal is to be the first team to compete in the 24 hours of Le Mans with a fully disabled team.” Both drivers are now looking for sponsors as they begin a year-long training programme aimed at taking Team BRIT another step closer to making motorsport history.