The first son-of-a-champion (see Graham Hill) to become a champion in his own right, with Williams in 1996.
Equally cursed and blessed by the family name en route to Formula One but was in the right place at the right time (Williams test driver, 1992) to get a top-line drive alongside Alain Prost during Prost’s final championship year.
An extended apprenticeship alongside Ayrton Senna beckoned for 1994 but Senna’s tragic demise put paid to that. Nonetheless Hill put in a stoic championship bid that was only foiled when Michael Schumacher took him out at the final round.
After a dismal 1995 Hill took revenge – and the title – before being kicked out of Williams. He came within half a lap of giving Arrows their only win, but the following year did give that honour to Jordan in Belgium. He retired after a poor 1999 season, dissatisfied with how Formula One cars handled on the recently introduced grooved tyres.
