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Teen Formula One fan Matthew James gets a bionic hand with help from Mercedes team

A Formula One fan has the world's most advanced bionic hand, thanks to Mercedes — and one well-worded cheeky letter.

Matthew James, 14, from Wokingham in Berkshire, England, was born without a left hand.

His one-handedness didn't stop him from pursuing a brown belt in karate or from dreaming of an engineering career in Formula One.

The prosthetic hand he was using was considered basic, with an "open-close mechanism similar to a clamp," Matthew said.

When he learned about the i-LIMB Pulse, the world's most advanced prosthetic limb, the teen adopted an ingenious approach to funding his £30,000 ($48,700) dream hand.

He wrote a letter to Ross Brawn, the head of Formula One team Mercedes GP Petronas, promising that in return for the funds to pay for his bionic hand, he would let the Mercedes team sponsor the new hand and proudly display the Mercedes logo on it.

Ross Brawn graduated from Reading School, the school Matthew currently attends.

"Matthew's letter to the team was very touching. It was of particular personal significance given my close relationship to Reading School. Looking closely at the i-LIMB Pulse, we realized how much our technologies in Formula One had in common with those used to create this cutting-edge prosthetic limb," Brawn said.

Soon Mercedes was teaming up with Touch Bionics, the creator of the i-LIMB Pulse, to help custom design a new hand for Matthew.

While the company was unable to pay for the hand, Mercedes was able to help reduce the cost of the hand to £10,000 ($16,200) by sharing technology with Touch Bionics and launching an initiative to raise money for the remaining cost, asking fans and sponsors to help fund Matthew's hand. Touch Bionics volunteered to fit the hand — and train Matthew how to use it at their facilities — for free, a £25,000 ($40,6000) gift.

The new hand plugs into Matthew's arm — literally. Two electrodes on the inside of a black silicone socket detect the arm muscles' electrical impulses. Those signals are translated into movements by a mini-computer in the palm, responding as would a normal hand.

The hand is also fitted with Bluetooth, so Matthew can track the strength and speed of his movements.

Matthew can now grip a pen, tie his shoelaces and catch a ball.

"With this one I can do everything, it is just like the real thing. It is going to make such a big difference to my life," Matthew said.

"It also looks really cool . The outer-shell is see through so you can actually see the mechanics working. They are even going to put a little Mercedes badge by the wrist."

"Meeting Matthew, and hearing firsthand how the new device would improve his quality of life, was a pleasure and I am delighted that our initial contact has now led to such a positive conclusion," F1 boss Brawn told The Telegraph.