Damon Hill

The 1996 Formula One World Champion who carried the number 0 and gave Jordan their first win.

Damon Graham Devereux Hill (born 17 September 1960) is a British former racing driver and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from 1992 to 1999. Hill won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1996 with Williams, and won 22 Grands Prix across seven seasons.

Quick Facts

Birth name: Damon Graham Devereux Hill
Born: 17 September 1960
Birthplace: Hampstead, London, England
Parents: Graham Hill (father)
Spouse: Susan George (1988)
Children: 4, including Josh

Lore & Background

Hill is the son of two-time Formula One World Champion 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 became a test driver for the Formula One title-winning Williams team in 1991. 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 collision at the 1994 Australian Grand Prix gave Schumacher 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 leaving Jordan following the 1999 season.

Reader's Guide

Hill is one of only two drivers to have carried the number 0 in Formula One history, and the only one to have carried it twice. He carried number 0 in 1993 and 1994 for Williams.

Did You Know?

Hill's father Graham Hill won the World Drivers' Championship in 1962 and 1968.
Hill's son Joshua raced in the British Formula Renault Championship in 2011 before retiring from motor racing in 2013.