DAMON HILL - The Career

1979-1984
From 1979 to 1984 Damon raced with Motocycles, winning 40 victorieswith the Yamaha TZ 350. For the chronichle, during that period, to earn money for racing, Damon did a lot of odd jobs, from bakery to tanning (leaving this last one when he found out what kind of treatment had to be done to the little animals). Until '85 he also as a "Pony Express", delivering mail and packages.
In August of 1984 he won his first race with a car, at Brands Hatch with a Formula Ford 1600.


1985


Ran the complete season of Formula Ford 1600. He arrived fifth in the Townsend Thoresen Championship and third in the Esso Championship, with six victories in all.


1986
Came to Formula Three, running the UK Championship of that category with Murray Taylor Racing, ending in ninth position with a second place as best results.


1987
Again the F.3 Championship, with Cellnet Ricoh Team. Won two races, arrived two times second and two third, reaching two Pole Positions and two fastest laps. Fifth in Championship.


1988


With the same Team, Damon came third in the F.3 Championship. Two victories, two second places, four third, two Pole Positions and one fastest lap. Ran also two races in Formula 3000 with GA Motorsport Team (dnf in the first race - Zolder, Belgium - and eight in the second - Dijion, France -). He arrived second in the prestigious Macao F.3 Grand Prix.


1989
Ran one race in the F.3000 UK Championship at Oulton Park, arriving third. Also one race in the UK Tourist Championship at Donington Park, ending in fourth position. And ran in the 24 hours of Le Mans, with the Porsche 962 of Richard Lloyd Racing Team.
In July Damon was called by Footwork Formula Team to run in the last six races of the International Championship of F.3000. He qualified the car, a Mooncraft Mugen, in all six races, whereas in the first part of the Championship Footwork never entered the starting grid.
But the poor competitivity of the car permitted Damon to reach only a 14th place in the Belgian G.P. at Spa.


1990
Damon passed to the MiddleBridge Team of F.3000, to take part in the International Championship with a Lola/Cosworth DFV T90/50. Made three Pole Positions and two fastest laps. As best result one second place at Brands Hatch.

1991
Damon Hill - Reynard 91D

Again with the same team, with a Reynard/Cosworth 91D, Damon reached his best results with a third place in Nogaro and two fourth in Vallelunga and Le Mans.
In the same year he became the test driver of the Formula One Williams Renault Team.


1992

Damon Hill - Brabham BT60B

Confirmed as Williams test driver, Damon ran some races with the low competitive Brabham-Judd BT60B. In spite of the car, he qualified at his first attempt, in the Silverstone GP, he started 26th and ended 16th. He qualified also in the Hungarian GP, ending eleventh, after starting from 25th position.


1993

Damon Hill - Williams Renault FW15C

Thanks to the quality and mastery of the car showed as test driver, Damon was 'promoted' as second driver of the Williams Renault Team, to participate in the World F.1 Championship. His team-mate was the French Champion Alain Prost. Running with the Williams-Renault FW15C Damon won his first F.1 Grand Prix at the circuit of Hungaroring, Hungary on the 15th August. During 1993 he won two other races, the Italian GP at Monza and Belgian GP at Spa.

Ended third in Championship with 69 points.
Won: Hungaroring, Hungary - Monza, Italy - Spa Franchorchamps, Belgium


1994
Confirmed as second driver of Williams-Renault, Damon was placed side by side with Brasilian Champion Ayrton Senna. After the terrible start of the season with the accident to Senna, Damon won the fifth race of the Championship in Spain. He repeated at home in Silverstone, at UK Grand Prix and in Belgium where, arriving second, he was classified as the winner after Schumacher's disqualification.
That and the following victory at Monza allowed Damon to reduce to 11 points the distance from the leader of the Championship Schumacher. A difference he had reduced to only one point after his fifth 94 victory, at Estoril, Portugal. Winning the last to one race in Suzuka, Japan, Damon arrived at the final round in Australia with one point behind Schumacher. But, after a collision with Schumacher (who did it on purpose: Schumacher made a mistake in a turn damaging his Benetton, then he threw himself onto Hill's Williams forcing him to retire), Damon lost Championship by just one miserable point.
Ended Second in Championship with 91 points.
Won: Barcelona, Spain - Silverstone, Great Britain - Spa Francorchamps, Belgium - Monza, Italy - Estoril, Portougal - Suzuka, Japan


1995
Still with Williams-Renault, Damon obviously became the first driver of the team, and his team-mate was David Coulthard.

Damon Hill - Williams FW17

26th March - Interlagos, Brasil
Damon started from Pole Position, and led 'til the 30th lap, when he had to retire after a tailspin (caused by gear problems)
- Practice: Pole Position (1.20.081)
- Race: dnf (retired 30th lap - gearbox)

9th April - Buenos Aires, Argentina
Qualified in second position, Damon won the Grand Prix thanks to race conduct and pit-stop strategy; in spite of making three stops, Damon attacked and came first, ending the race with victory.
- Practice: 2nd position (1.54.057)
- Race: Victory (72 laps in 1.53'14''532)

30th April - Imola, San Marino
Damon won the race in a great way, even if he started from fourth position. He had some trouble with slow drivers but however he passed first under the checkered flag. Now he was first in the Championship with six points of advantage on Schumcher.
- Practice: 4th position (1.27.512)
- Race: Victory (63 laps in 1.41'42"552)

14th May - Catalunya, Spain
Unlucky race. After a bad qualification, Damon arrived only fourth, 'cause a transmission problem, that even left him without gears over the finishing line, allow him at least to end the final lap thanks to his momentum.
- Practice: 5th position (1.22.349)
- Race: 4th position - Fastest Lap in 1.24.531

28th May - Montecarlo, Monaco
Damon's dream to win here in Monaco came to nothing because of the wrong pit strategy. He made a wonderful start, took the lead followed by Schumacher, and stayed in first position 'til the pit-stop; but he had to make two pit stops instead of the only one stop of Schumacher, so Damon had to arrive to the end of the race in second position, at 35 seconds behind the first.
- Practice: Pole Position (1.21.952)
- Race: 2nd position

11th June - Montreal, Canada
That was a wrong day for Hill: started from second position, he was overtaken during the race by the two Ferrari. He ended the race at 50th lap for gearbox problems, when he was in third position.
- Practice: 2nd position (1.28.039)
- Race: dnf (retired 50th lap - gearbox)

2nd July - Magny-Cours, French
Also this race was decided in the pits, thanks to refueling/tyres succesfull strategies guessed by Benetton and mistaken by Williams. Damon started in Pole, led the race, and was overtaken by Schumacher at the moment of refueling.
- Practice: Pole Position (1.17.225)
- Race: 2nd position

16th July - Silverstone, Great Britain
Fruitless race for Damon. Started from pole, after the pit-stops he was behind Schumacher. He tried to overtake the German at the Priory curve, but the Williams hit the Benetton and both of them ended the race in the sand.
- Practice: Pole Position (1.28.124)
- Race: dnf (retired 45th lap - accident) - Fastest Lap in 1.29.725

30th July - Hockenheim, Germany
Misfortune persisted on Damon, this time as an axle-shaft problem, forcing him to retire at the second lap when he was leading with a big margin of advantage gained in only one lap.
- Practice: Pole Position (1.44.385)
- Race: dnf (retired 2nd lap - axle-shaft)

13th August - Hungaroring, Hungary
A perfect race in this circuit: Damon domineered from start to finish and won taking the en-plein: Pole Position, fastest lap and victory, back on course for the championship.
- Practice: Pole Position (1.16.892)
- Race: Victory (77 lap in 1.46'25"721) - Fastest Lap in 1.20.247

27th August - Spa-Francorchaps, Belgium
Damon ended the Grand Prix in second position, after a racewith wet sections that saw him also in the lead; Hill was stopped for a stop-and-go, because of too a high speed in the pits.
- Practice: 8th position (1.57.768)
- Race: 2nd position

10th September- Monza, Italy
Silverstone race replay: Damon end over and hit Schumacher in curve, this time however 'cause the German had deliberately anticipated the brakes.
- Practice: 4th position (1.25.699)
- Race: dnf (retired 23rd lap - accident)

24th September - Estoril, Portougal
Gearbox trouble, and Damon ended the race in third position. By now the Championship has gone too far.
- Practice: 2nd position (1.20.905)
- Race: 3rd position

1st October - Nurburgring, Europe
Damon retired after running off the track.
- Practice: 2nd position (1.18.972)
- Race: dnf (retired 58th lap - accident)

22nd October - Aida, Pacific
Only the third position for Damon, while Schumacher celebrated his victory of the Championship.
- Practice: 2nd position (1.14.213)
- Race: 3rd position

29th October - Suzuka, Japan
Out of race at 40th lap, when he was fourth.
- Practice: 4th position (1.39.032)
- Race: dnf (retired 40th lap - accident)

12th November - Adelaide, Australia
Wonderful race for Damon. Gained the Pole Position, and dominated the race entirely, until winning with two laps of advantage over all the other drivers. Also made the fastest lap.
- Practice: Pole Position (1.15.505)
- Race: Victory (81 laps in 1.49'25"946) - Fastest Lap

Ended Second in Championship with 69 points
Won: Buenos Aires, Argentina - San Marino, Imola - Hungaroring, Hungary - Adelaide, Australia.