Graham Hill

Interesting facts

He was nicknamed 'Mr. Monaco' after winning the Monaco Grand Prix five times (1963-65, 1968, 1969), a dominance over the street circuit no one else matched. His helmet's dark blue and white oar-blade bands came from his old rowing club's colours, a design his son Damon later adopted with the club's permission. Known for throwing lavish parties at his home for paddock regulars and celebrity guests, he became one of the grid's most universally liked figures. After breaking both legs in a crash at the 1969 United States Grand Prix, he reportedly joked that someone should tell his wife he wouldn't be dancing for a fortnight. He remains the only driver to complete motorsport's Triple Crown, adding the Indianapolis 500 (1966, Lola-Ford) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1972, with Henri Pescarolo in a Matra-Simca MS670) to his Formula One success. On 29 November 1975 his twin-engined Piper Aztec crashed in thick fog while approaching Elstree Airfield, killing him and five team members, including his young protege Tony Brise; investigators pointed to pilot error, noting several of his flying qualifications had lapsed. His son Damon Hill became world champion in 1996, making them the first father-and-son pair to both win the Formula One title. Graham Hill made his Formula 1 debut in 1958 and raced until 1975, 18 seasons in total as a British driver. He won the World Championship 2 times, in 1962, 1968. He scored a total of 270 championship points over his career.