Damon Hill names the ‘emotional’ part of Formula 1 he still gets a ‘kick’ from

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For many Formula 1 fans, it’s crazy to think that soon it will have been 30 years since Damon Hill finally managed to win the drivers’ championship with Williams.

He had numerous attempts at the feat, including being taken out of a title decider with Michael Schumacher in 1994.

But after winning the 1996 Japanese Grand Prix, he and his dad Graham became the first father-son world champion duo in Formula 1 history.

To this day, just one other pairing have joined them after Nico Rosberg won the championship in 2016 to join Keke, who won in 1982.

Damon Hill names the ’emotional’ part of Formula 1 he still gets a ‘kick’ from

Speaking to The Standard, Hill discussed many aspects of his career, including life after racing in Formula 1.

His career ended in 1999, but he has since gone on to forge a successful career as a pundit with Sky Sports.

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“It can be quite emotional sometimes looking back,” he said. “You see all the stories, the context of the sport, and the energy and passion that has gone into it.

“I just feel incredibly lucky to have taken part in such an incredibly rich sport like Formula 1. I still get a kick looking back at the races, the greats, and even parts of my career that I’ve forgotten!

“You get more from Formula 1 the more you know about it. It’s a big subject with a lot of rich history, and there is so much to be fascinated by from all sorts of angles,” he continued.

“The recent era has done a great job of telling those stories in new ways to reach more people.”

The things that people fail to realise about Hill’s career

Hill was a fairly late bloomer by modern-day Formula 1 standards, making his full-time debut aged 31.

He was teammates with Ayrton Senna before his tragic accident at Imola in 1994, and he nearly won the title that year before being shoved out of the Australian Grand Prix.

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He won a race for Jordan Grand Prix against the odds, and nearly did so for Arrows at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 1997 before a heart-breaking mechanical failure.

Hill was also the second driver in Formula 1 history to don the number 0 after Jody Scheckter in 1993, following a promotion to Williams to replace Ricardo Patrese.

He took his first victory at Hungary that year and never looked back, racing for Williams until they opted to replace him with Jacques Villeneuve for 1997.