President

DAMON HILL OBE

DOB:    17/09/1960
Place of birth:  Hampstead, London
Elected  to BRDC:  1989
Elected President:  2006

Damon Hill OBE became President of the British Racing Drivers' Club in 2006, succeeding Sir Jackie Stewart OBE. Damon comes from a motor sport dynasty as he is the son of the late double Formula One World Champion Graham Hill, and is the only son of a World Champion to win the title, having done so in 1996.

Damon Hill came to professional motor sports relatively late: he began racing motor cycles in 1983 at the age of 23. The following year he won the 350cc Clubmans’ Cup at Brands Hatch. In 1985 he switched to four-wheels with a Manadient Racing Van Diemen RF85 in the UK Formula Ford championships, before moving up into the UK Formula 3 championship in 1986. After three seasons in Formula 3  Damon competed in the International Formula 3000 championship.

In 1991 Damon was appointed as test driver by Williams Grand Prix Engineering, working alongside team drivers Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese but it was with the struggling Brabham team with which he made his F1 race debut in 1992. After failing to qualify the Brabham-Judd BT60B for five races, Damon just made the grid for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, crossing the line four laps adrift in 16th place just behind winner Nigel Mansell in the Williams-Renault FW14B which Damon had helped to develop.

For 1993 Damon was promoted to the race team alongside Alain Prost, finishing second in the Brazilian, European, Monaco and French Grands Prix, and looking set to win both the British and German Grands Prix until mechanical troubles intervened, before taking the first of his 22 victories in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

In 1994 Damon won the British Grand Prix, a race his father had never won in his long and successful career. During the mid 1990s, Damon was Michael Schumacher's main rival for the Formula One Drivers’ Championship, finishing runner-up to Michael in 1994 and 1995 but only losing out in 1994 in the final round in Australia after a controversial clash with his rival.

Damon now works tirelessly for the British Racing Drivers' Club and is endeavouring to retain the British Grand Prix here at Silverstone. He also spend a lot of time encouraging young drivers and assisting where possible in helping their future careers.

Damon is married to Georgie, and they have four children – Oliver, Josh (currently racing in the British Formula Ford Championship),Tabitha and Rosie. Damon and Georgie are patrons of the Down’s Syndrome Association.