Damon Hill

In recent years, British success in Formula 1 has become the standard thanks to Lewis Hamilton, but in the 1990s, a series of different drivers claimed titles. Only two Brits managed to become champions in that decade, with Nigel Mansell being the first in 1992. Damon Hill, the son of racer Graham Hill, held the title of "the last British champion in Formula 1" for a long time.

Father Graham Hill won the title in 1962 and 1968, just as his son Damon was born. At just 15 years old, young Damon had to face life without his father, as Graham died in a plane crash. However, Damon followed in his father's footsteps, making his debut in the British Formula 3 Championship in 1986, a series where many F1 world champions earned their stripes. Despite success (but no titles) in this class, Damon Hill's next step seemed to be Formula 3000, but a lack of financial support prevented that. Instead, he had to settle for a few scattered races before embarking on a full season in 1990. Hill finished second in Bahrain, but that was all.

Damon Hill made his F1 debut in 1992 as a replacement driver for Brabham. The team soon folded, and Hill could do little to avoid this fate with their troubled car. However, by remaining active as a test driver for Williams, Hill knew that his time in F1 would last even without Brabham. The question was when he would get the chance to drive full-time for a team. The answer came soon after Brabham's demise: Williams had an opening after Riccardo Patrese's departure, and Hill was chosen as his replacement. Next to three-time world champion Alain Prost, Hill learned the ropes of driving for a top team, securing three wins and numerous podiums in his first full season. A third-place finish in the championship was the best he could manage, laying the foundation for the rest of his years with Williams.

Prost retired after 1993, and soon after, rival Ayrton Senna moved from McLaren. The Brazilian tragically passed away during the season, casting a shadow over the remainder of the year. Michael Schumacher won the title, but his actions in the final race caused controversy. Damon Hill was forced off track and failed to score the necessary points. However, Williams did not protest, given the already dramatic events following the Imola incident.

It wasn’t until 1996 that Hill could fight for the title again, as Michael Schumacher won in 1995. Hill won eight of the sixteen races that year, driving the FW18, and claimed the first title for Britain in years. However, Williams did not reward Hill and let him go after the 1996 season. Arrows offered Hill a seat in 1997, but it was a very different experience for the newly crowned champion. The team provided him with just one podium (second place in Hungary), and the following year, Hill moved to Jordan. His time at Jordan wasn’t much better, but Hill did manage to win a race: the Belgian Grand Prix in 1998, though with some team orders to prevent the up-and-coming Ralf Schumacher from taking his place. Jordan didn’t need to replace Hill with Jos Verstappen during the 1999 season, but Hill decided to retire after the Japanese Grand Prix. Once again, Formula 1 had lost another British world champion. Currently, Hill works as an analyst and reporter for Sky Sports.