Watching the Wheels: My Autobiography

Damon Hill

Sep 2016 · Pan Macmillan

About this ebook

The Sunday Times #1 Bestseller, shortlisted for the Cross Sports Book Award.

In 1996, Damon Hill was crowned Formula One World Champion. For the first time ever he tells the story of his journey through the last golden era of the sport when he took on the greats including Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher and emerged victorious as World Champion in 1996, stepping out of the shadow of his legendary father Graham Hill.

Away from the grid, Watching the Wheels: The Autobiography is an astonishingly candid account of what it was like to grow up as the son of one of the country's most famous racing drivers. It also tells the unflinching story of dealing with the grief and chaos that followed his father's tragically early death in an aircraft accident in 1975, when Damon was fifteen years old.

Formula One drivers have always been aware of their mortality, and the rush that comes with the danger of racing was as intoxicating for Hill as it had been for his father's generation, until he came face-to-face with catastrophe when his team-mate, Ayrton Senna, was killed in 1994. The swirling emotions that Hill was faced with in light of the death of Senna was a defining moment for his generation of drivers and for the first time ever Hill talks candidly about the impact that Senna had on his life, even as he watched his own son step into motor racing.

Courageously honest, and hugely rewarding, Watching the Wheels is a return to the last golden era of F1 racing, whose image still burns ferociously for those who love the sport for what it reveals about human skill in the face of near certain death.

Ratings and reviews

A frank & fascinating account of Damon's life from childhood, through the tragic death of his father, young adulthood trying to make his own way in the world, the ups & downs of courtship & the responsibilities of having a family & not forgetting his time racing motorcycles & high profile F1 career with a world championship title. A must for motorsport fans.

As a lifetime F1 fan, I had often wondered where Damon had got to, but thanks to his very frank & honest storytelling I feel like I have been invited on a personal journey through Damon's past, with him narrating it beside me in his quiet gentlemanly way. Thanks & best wishes to Damon & Co.

I've always been a big fan of Damon's & this autobiography reinforces it. Showing both his talents & weaknesses this book goes into full detail the weight & pressures of leading a top F1 team amongst many other troubles. A fantastic read, I highly recommend.

About the author

Damon Hill is a former Formula One World Champion who raced against some of the legends of the sport from Ayrton Senna to Michael Schumacher. The son of racing legend Graham Hill, Damon entered Formula One in 1992, racing for Brabhams and then Williams and took over as team leader when Senna died in 1994. Having lost the 1994 World Championship to Schumacher by a single point, Hill was crowned World Champion in 1996.
After retiring in 1999, Hill pursued various business ventures as well as becoming president of the British Racing Driver's Club in 2006. He now works as a commentator on SKYF1.