Damon Hill
Damon Graham Devereux Hill, OBE (born 17 September 1960) is a British former professional racing driver from England and the 1996 Formula One World Champion. He is the son of Graham Hill, and, along with Nico Rosberg, one of two sons of a Formula One World Champion to also win the title. He started racing on motorbikes in 1981, and after minor success moved on to single-seater racing cars.
Hill at a VW Scirocco Event in May 2012 | |
Born | Damon Graham Devereux Hill 17 September 1960 Hampstead, London, England |
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Formula One World Championship career | |
Nationality | British |
Active years | 1992–1999 |
Teams | Brabham, Williams, Arrows, Jordan |
Engines | Judd, Renault, Yamaha, Mugen-Honda |
Entries | 122 (115 starts) |
Championships | 1 (1996) |
Wins | 22 |
Podiums | 42 |
Career points | 360 |
Pole positions | 20 |
Fastest laps | 19 |
First entry | 1992 Spanish Grand Prix |
First win | 1993 Hungarian Grand Prix |
Last win | 1998 Belgian Grand Prix |
Last entry | 1999 Japanese Grand Prix |
Hill became a test driver for the Formula One title-winning Williams team in 1992. He was promoted to the Williams race team the following year after Riccardo Patrese's departure and took the first of his 22 victories at the 1993 Hungarian Grand Prix. During the mid-1990s, Hill was Michael Schumacher's main rival for the Formula One Drivers' Championship, which saw the two clash several times on and off the track. Their race-ending collision at the 1994 Australian Grand Prix resulted in Schumacher winning his first title by a single point. Hill became champion in 1996 with eight wins, but was dropped by Williams for the following season. He went on to drive for the less competitive Arrows and Jordan teams, and in 1998 gave Jordan their first win.
Hill retired from racing after being dropped by Jordan following the 1999 season. In 2006, he became president of the British Racing Drivers' Club, succeeding Sir Jackie Stewart. Hill stepped down from the position in 2011 and was succeeded by Derek Warwick. He presided over the securing of a 17-year contract for Silverstone to hold Formula One races, which enabled the circuit to see extensive renovation work. Hill currently works as part of the Sky Sports F1 broadcasting support team providing expert analysis during free practice sessions.