1996 World Champion · Formula 1

Damon Hill

Twenty-two Grand Prix wins, the 1996 world title, and the first son of a World Champion to win one himself. The official Hill collection: the Rothmans Williams, the Jordan years and the 1996 season.

Nationality
British
Born
17 September 1960 · Hampstead, London
Teams
Brabham · Williams · Arrows · Jordan
F1 career
1992–1999
Championships
1 (1996)
Father
Graham Hill, champion in 1962 and 1968
Graphic illustration of legendary 1996 F1 World Champion Damon Hill wearing his iconic Rothmans Williams racing suit and holding his helmet.
1996 World Champion
1992 — 1999
1
World Championship
22
Grand Prix Wins
20
Pole Positions
42
Podium Finishes

Who is Damon Hill?

Damon Hill (born 17 September 1960) is a British former Formula 1 driver who won the 1996 World Championship with Williams. The son of two-time champion Graham Hill, he is one of only two sons of a World Champion to win the title, alongside Nico Rosberg. He won 22 Grands Prix, took 20 pole positions and finished runner-up twice.

Full name
Damon Graham Devereux Hill
Nationality
British
F1 career
1992–1999
Best known for
1996 title, and the 1994 Adelaide collision
Rider Profile

Damon Hill: Full Biography

Damon Graham Devereux Hill is a British former racing driver and broadcaster who won the 1996 Formula 1 World Championship with Williams, and is one of only two sons of a World Champion to win the title himself.

The Late Starter Hill began racing motorbikes in 1981 and reached Formula 1 only at 31, after British Formula Three, Formula 3000 and testing for Williams. He raced for Brabham in 1992, starting two of the races he entered.

Williams and Schumacher Promoted to the Williams race seat for 1993, he won three times in his first season. He became the team’s lead driver after Ayrton Senna’s death in 1994 and took the championship to the final race, losing it by a single point when he and Michael Schumacher collided at Adelaide. He was runner-up again in 1995.

Champion, and Then Dropped Hill won eight of the sixteen races in 1996 and out-scored his rookie team-mate Jacques Villeneuve to take the title, but Williams had already decided to replace him. A difficult 1997 at Arrows followed, then Jordan, where he gave the team its first Grand Prix victory at Spa-Francorchamps in 1998. He retired after 1999.

The Career

Three Chapters That Defined Damon Hill

Chapter 01

Nobody's Heir

Hill started on motorbikes in 1981, moved into cars late, and spent three seasons in British Formula Three and three more in Formula 3000 without winning a championship. Williams took him on as test driver in 1991, and his 1992 season proper was Brabham, a team so far off the pace that he started only two of the races he entered. Frank Williams promoted him for 1993 not because of his surname but, in Williams's own words, because he was tough; Patrick Head called it fierce inner determination.

Damon Hill in the Brabham-Judd BT60B at Woodcote, 1992 British Grand Prix, Silverstone Motorbikes · Formula 3000 · Williams test driver Photo: Damon Hill in the Brabham by Kolforn / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · licence
Chapter 02

One Point

1994 began with Ayrton Senna as his team-mate and ended with Hill as the man carrying Williams. After Senna's death at Imola he won six races and took the championship to the final round in Adelaide, one point behind Michael Schumacher. The two collided, both retired, and Schumacher had the title. Hill was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year that December, and finished runner-up again in 1995.

Damon Hill - Williams FW16 at the 1994 British Grand Prix Rothmans Williams · Adelaide Photo: Damon Hill Williams FW16 1994 by Martin Lee from London, UK / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 · licence
Chapter 03

Champion, and Surplus

The 1996 Williams was the class of the field and Hill used it properly: eight victories, nine pole positions and the championship, beating his rookie team-mate Jacques Villeneuve. Williams had already decided to replace him with Heinz-Harald Frentzen, and he was told during the season that he was not being retained. He took the news without public complaint, spent an unproductive 1997 at Arrows, then delivered Jordan their first win at Spa in 1998. To his father's 14 wins and two titles, Damon added 22 wins and one.

Damon Hill during free practice of 1996 San Marino Grand Prix Williams FW18 · eight wins from sixteen Photo: Damon Hill during free practice by Restu20 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 · licence
Career Timeline

Damon Hill Career Timeline: 1960–Present

Born in London

Damon Graham Devereux Hill is born on 17 September in Hampstead, two years before his father Graham wins his first world title.

Starts on motorbikes

Begins racing motorcycles, moving to single-seaters later in the decade.

British Formula Three

Runs three seasons in British F3, finishing third in the championship in 1988.

Williams test driver

Joins Williams as test driver while racing in Formula 3000.

Formula 1 debut

Races for Brabham at 31, starting two of the races he enters.

Williams race seat

Replaces Riccardo Patrese, wins three races starting with Hungary, and finishes third overall.

A single point

Leads Williams after Ayrton Senna's death, wins six races, and loses the title at Adelaide after colliding with Michael Schumacher.

World Champion

Wins eight of sixteen races and beats team-mate Jacques Villeneuve to the championship.

Arrows

Dropped by Williams, he spends a difficult season with Arrows and scores seven points.

Jordan's first win

Wins the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, the first victory in Jordan's history.

Retirement

Ends his career after a final season with Jordan.

President of the BRDC

Succeeds Jackie Stewart, and oversees the 17-year contract that kept Formula 1 at Silverstone.

By the Numbers

Damon Hill F1 Career Record, Season by Season

Damon Hill season-by-season record: team, wins, poles, podiums, points and final standing.
SeasonTeam Wins Poles Podiums Points Pos.
1992 Brabham 0 0 0 0 NC
1993 Williams 3 2 10 69 3
1994 Williams 6 2 11 91 2
1995 Williams 4 7 9 69 2
1996 Williams 8 9 10 97 1
1997 Arrows 0 0 1 7 12
1998 Jordan 1 0 1 20 6
1999 Jordan 0 0 0 7 12

The championship season is highlighted. Career totals: 22 wins · 20 pole positions · 42 podiums · 360 points from 115 Grand Prix starts. His entry count is higher, at 122, because he failed to qualify the uncompetitive Brabham several times in 1992. Figures verified 28 July 2026.

Damon Hill in his own words

In His Own Words
Some people might think I got here because I had a sweet smile and a famous name. Well it wasn't like that. I was written off a lot during my career.
Damon Hill · Formula1.com Hall of Fame
Frequently Asked

Damon Hill: Frequently Asked Questions

How many races did Damon Hill win?

22 Grands Prix from 115 starts, with 20 pole positions and 42 podium finishes. His first win came at the 1993 Hungarian Grand Prix and his last at Spa-Francorchamps in 1998.

When did Damon Hill win the world championship?

In 1996, with Williams, winning eight of the sixteen races and beating his rookie team-mate Jacques Villeneuve.

Is Damon Hill related to Graham Hill?

Yes. Graham Hill, champion in 1962 and 1968, was his father. Damon and Nico Rosberg are the only two sons of a World Champion to have won the title themselves.

What happened at the 1994 Australian Grand Prix?

Hill went into the final race one point behind Michael Schumacher. The two collided and both retired, which gave Schumacher the championship. Hill won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award that season.

Why did Damon Hill leave Williams after winning the title?

Williams decided to replace him with Heinz-Harald Frentzen and told him during his championship season that he would not be retained. He moved to Arrows for 1997.

Which teams did Damon Hill drive for?

Four: Brabham in 1992, Williams from 1993 to 1996, Arrows in 1997, and Jordan in 1998 and 1999.

What has Damon Hill done since retiring?

He was president of the British Racing Drivers' Club from 2006 to 2011, presiding over the 17-year deal that kept the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, and has worked as an analyst for Sky Sports F1.

Shop His Gear

Damon Hill Collection

References

Sources & Further Reading

Every statistic on this page is drawn from the following records.

  1. Damon Hill — Hall of Fame profile · Formula1.com (official)
  2. Damon Hill driver database · Motor Sport Magazine
  3. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile · FIA, governing body records
  4. Damon Hill · Wikipedia
  5. Damon Hill (Q10505) · Wikidata entity record

How this page is made

Rider profiles are compiled from official series records and cross-checked against independent statistical databases before publication.

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