|
To look at Graham Hill, with his poise and
grace, one would assume that his ascent to the top of international motorsports came by way of a great talent mixed with
the all-important financial backing from wealthy parents, as so many racing greats found their way into the sport. This was not the case,
however, as he had to fight his way into the world's most expensive sport as a penniless young man. Furthermore, he started his love-affair
with motorsports very late in life compared to most F1 drivers, as he was well into his 25th year by the time he first drove a race car. This first
taste of speed came when he paid 5 shillings to complete 4 laps of
Brands Hatch in a Formula 3 Cooper. This was a
pinnacle moment in his life, as
from then on his primary pursuit was to find a way to become a professional racing driver. Previously he was very involved
in rowing, being a member of the
London Rowing Club, and his association with that sport would become part of motor racing folklore
though his notorious crash helmet design.
After his lapping experience he tried to volunteer at the driving school at Brands Hatch, and after being turned away he found another opportunity at a
rival school. Also, he frequented the infamous Steering Wheel Club in London, where he spent many nights hoping to make contacts that could help jumpstart
his career. It would be a chance meeting with F1 legend and
Lotus team manager Colin Chapman in 1955 that would finally get his foot in the racing community's door.
Graham hitched a ride back to London on a Lotus truck with Chapman by way of his persuasive, friendly character. He would eventually get a job with Lotus
where he was able to build his own Lotus 11, thanks to help from Chapman who retained ownership. He raced with that car, and others, for the next two seasons
with great success, rewarded by a works Formula 1 drive with Lotus for the 1958 season. He had done it.
His first two seasons were quite disappointing, as he managed only four finishes and no World Championship points due to the unreliable Lotus. By 1960 he was signed by
BRM to drive alongside
two other upcoming stars; Jo Bonnier and
Dan Gurney. He got his first podium at the Dutch GP that year, yet even more significant was his performance at the British GP,
as after a thrilling drive up through the field he battled with World Champion
Jack Brabham, finally taking the lead and fending the
Australian off for laps, only to have
his brakes fail causing him to spin out. He was out of the race, but the English racing hero of the new generation had emerged. The rest of the 1960 season, as well as that of 1961,
was a complete disappointment. By 1962 Sir Alfred Owen, owner of BRM, had threatened to shut the team down if they did not start to win, and win they did. The new engine was a big
improvement and Graham won the first race of the season at
Zandvoort. He would have to battle a new
challenger all season, Jim Clark in the Lotus 25. They exchanged race
wins all season long, culminating in a last race showdown in
South Africa on Dec. 27th, where Clark had to win the race to take the championship. He built and early lead, but his
car broke down and Hill cruised to the win and his first World Championship.
The next three seasons saw Graham remain at the top of the F1 world, as he finished 2nd in the championship all three years. In 1964 he surely would have won had
Lorenzo Bandini not been
instructed to slow to allow Ferrari teammate
John Surtees to overtake his second place and win the championship be a point over Graham. He won 6 Grand Prix, three at
Monaco and three at
Watkins Glen. 1966 was not a good year in F1, as BRM fell off pace from
Brabham,
Ferrari, and
Cooper, but he did manage to claim victory at the
Indianapolis 500; to this date one of the most
memorable wins at the Brickyard. He moved back to Lotus for the 1967, yet his poor luck with Chapman's machinery also returned, making his year very difficult. His teammate and once rival Jim
Clark took three wins, but in the wake of his fatal accident early in 1968, Graham
became the team's centroid. They further developed the car and he scored three race wins, including yet another at Monaco,
with a string of podiums to claim his second championship. He would continue on for six more seasons. In 1969 he won Monaco again, yet two very large accidents that year almost cost him his life. The second,
at one of his favorite tracks, Watkins Glen, he stalled his car and after push starting it he couldn't put his
safety belt on himself. He spun out not long after getting started and the car went airborne; Graham
was thrown clear of the car and it disintegrated when it returned to the ground. He broke both his legs, but was at least alive, as had he been able to fasten his seatbelt and remain in the car he would most certainly
have died. The next season, which started just five months later, saw a nearly crippled Hill who could hardly walk and had to be helped in and out of the car finish an impressive 6th at the debut GP. He had some minor
points finishes that year and with the death of his teammate
Jochen Rindt he left Lotus for Brabham. The next four seasons saw Hill finish out his career with some inspired drives, but by this time well into his
40's and far past his prime. He started up his own team for the 1975 season with Tony Brise as other driver, and was again off-pace. When he was unable to qualify for the Monaco GP,
Mr. Monaco himself, it brought tears to
the eyes of all in F1. By the British GP he announced his retirement from driving, to the relief of many in the sport who felt his legendary name would be tarnished with continued uncompetitveness.
Looking back at his career one sees that of a true F1 champion, undoubtedly one of the best in history of motorsport. Above that he was
THE face of motor racing for England during the swinging 60's; dashing,
mustachioed,
fun-loving, extroverted - a real gentleman. His image became what the people felt a racing driver should look and act like. He appeared regularly on television and even found his way into John Frankenheimer's classic film
"Grand Prix" as extra Bob Turner. He was also in great demand as an after-dinner speaker, noted for his quick witted humour. He also had a serious side, as a
safety activist for motorsports. When
Jackie Stewart
was in front of a camera calling for changes, Hill was in meetings with race
officials and organizing bodies to improve facilities. Many of the changes made in the name of safety are owed to Graham's determination to improve
the conditions.
Unfortunately, the world lost this true ambassador for motorsports, as well as most of his Embassy Hill racing team, on a foggy night in November 1975. The pilot mistook Arkley golf course for the runway, and when the plane
crashed into some trees Graham, his driver
Tony Brise, his designer and three mechanics all died instantly. The country mourned for the loss of 'their' racing driver. He was survived by his wife Bette and son
Damon, who
later followed his father's footsteps into racing.
|