Damon Hill

Damon Hill, full name Damon Graham Devereux Hill, was born on 17 September 1960 in London, England. He is the son of Graham Hill, a two-time Formula 1 World Champion, which predisposed him to become part of the motorsport world from a young age. Damon Hill is best known as the 1996 Formula 1 World Champion. Damon's journey into the world of Formula 1 was not a straightforward one. His racing beginnings were spent on motorcycles, racing in the British Championship. Gradually he moved into formula racing, where he began his career in lower series such as Formula Ford and Formula 3. In 1986, he joined the Mooncraft team in Japan's Formula 3000, but more significant successes began to come after his return to Europe. In 1991, he became a test driver for the Williams-Renault team in Formula 1, allowing him to gain valuable experience and prepare for a full racing career. He made his Formula 1 racing debut in 1992 with the Brabham team. However, the team was in a deep crisis at the time, which affected its results. However, Hill's skills did not escape the attention of the Williams team, who engaged him as a race driver in 1993. At Williams-Renault, Hill's star began to shine brightly. In 1993, he took his first victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix and finished third overall in the world championship. The following years were very successful for Hill. In 1994, Hill had a difficult task when he had to take over the role of team principal driver after the tragic death of Ayrton Senna. Despite this tragedy, he managed to take six victories and fought for the world championship until the last race, where he finished second after a controversial incident with Michael Schumacher. In 1995, he continued his quest for the title, taking four wins, but again finished second overall to Schumacher. 1996, however, was a turning point for Hill. With ten wins in the season, he managed to take the world title, becoming the first son of a world champion to win the title. His triumph was all the sweeter because he achieved it in a year when Williams dominated the championship. After winning the title, there were changes in the Williams team and Hill had to leave. He signed with the Arrows team for the 1997 season, but failed to build on his previous success. Despite the difficult conditions, he managed to take second place in the Hungarian Grand Prix. In 1998 he moved to the Jordan team, where he achieved his last victory in the Belgian Grand Prix. He finished the 1999 season 14th overall and retired from his active Formula 1 career after the season. After retiring, Hill pursued various activities. He worked as a television commentator and analyst, was involved in charity projects and in 2006 was elected President of the British Racing Drivers' Club, where he served until 2011. Damon Hill is recognised not only for his driving ability but also for his contribution to motorsport and the sporting spirit. Damon Hill is also the author of the autobiography "Watching the Wheels", published in 2016, where he describes not only his racing career but also his personal life and the challenges he faced. His Formula 1 career is considered an inspiring story of determination, perseverance and success. Damon Hill now lives with his wife Georgie and they have four children. Despite no longer actively racing, he remains a prominent figure in the world of motorsport and is often invited to events and the media to share his wealth of experience and views on current events in Formula 1.