Damon Hill reveals which Formula 1 star once called him the ‘worst driver I’ve ever seen’

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Damon Hill had an unusual journey in motorsports before racing in Formula 1, initially starting in motorcycles and skipping karting completely.

By the time Damon Hill made his Formula 1 debut with Brabham in 1992, he was already in his 30s.

He joined the grid just as legendary drivers like Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell were coming to the end of their careers, and Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher looked set to engage in a thrilling rivalry before the Brazilian’s untimely passing.

Hill led Williams to glory in 1996 after his own coming together with Schumacher, before he discovered he was being moved on for Heinz-Harald Frentzen, before he’d even completed his title-winning season.

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Frank Williams later admitted dropping Hill was a mistake, but it led to spells with Arrows and Jordan before his eventual retirement at the end of the 1999 season.

Hill had some iconic clashes with Schumacher, but before he even reached the F1 grid, he was causing controversy.

He’s now told the story of one iconic F1 driver being left very unimpressed with his driving before his debut.

READ MORE: Damon Hill reveals the important role Nigel Mansell once played in earning his Williams F1 debut

Damon Hill recalls Rene Arnoux calling him the ‘worst driver I’ve ever seen’

Hill and Johnny Herbert were asked on the Stay on Track Podcast if they had ever incurred the wrath of other drivers on the grid, and the 1996 world champion said: “No, I’ve never had that, Johnny, only you’ve had it!

“I mean, when I was racing. I had Rene Arnoux come up to me because I crashed into one of his drivers, or I didn’t crash into him. Anyway, I did something, and he’d been managing a driver in Formula 3000.

“He came up to me, and he said, ‘You’re the worst driver I’ve ever seen in my life.’

“But I thought from Rene Arnoux, coming from him!”

Herbert replied: “A big compliment, he’s a good guy!”

Rene Arnoux spent more than a decade on the F1 grid before retiring at the end of the 1989 season.

Arnoux is still keeping up with what’s happening in Formula 1, but was a formidable driver when he was on the grid.

READ MORE: Johnny Herbert criticises F1 rule he ‘never’ liked that thwarted Oscar Piastri at the Brazilian GP

Everything you need to know about former French Formula 1 driver Rene Arnoux

Born in Pontcharra, France, Arnoux was one of the highest-rated drivers in Europe when he made his debut at the 1978 South African Grand Prix.

The European Formula Two champion was given his debut by Martini, before spending the final two races of the 1978 campaign racing for Surtees.

Renault signed Arnoux for the following season, and he took back-to-back pole positions in Austria and the Netherlands to signal his arrival in Formula 1.

Three podiums in his first full campaign earned a P8 finish in the drivers’ championship and nearly double the points of his more experienced teammate Jean-Pierre Jabouille.

Arnoux eventually moved to Ferrari in 1983 before ending his F1 career with Ligier, recording seven victories, 18 pole positions and 22 podiums.

How Rene Arnoux and Alain Prost’s relationship at Renault fell apart

Alain Prost was Arnoux’s teammate in 1982, and a controversial moment at their home race led to a breakdown in their relationship.

Arnoux led a French top four over the line at Paul Ricard, with Renault’s drivers first and second.

However, Prost believed Arnoux should have let him pass to help his championship chances, but he refused, and as Motorsport Magazine reported, he demanded Arnoux leave at the end of the season, which led to his move to Ferrari.

Speaking to Motorsport Magazine decades later, Arnoux said: “It was not as if Alain was close to winning the championship.

“There were still a lot of races to go, and we were both a long way off in the points. But it could have gone the other way later in the season. Then I thought, ‘Let’s just see what happens in the race’.

“I wasn’t just ahead of Alain, I was half a lap in front. I slowed down, and still I was pulling away from him, so I thought, ‘No way!’ And took the win.”

Arnoux was never a driver who kept his thoughts to himself, as Hill later discovered, even when he wasn’t racing.