Top Sky Sports pundit QUITS role on F1 coverage after 13 years – as stalwart admits ‘all good things come to an end’ in heartfelt message
- Damon Hill became world champion in 1996 after beating Michael Schumacher
- He later turned to experts at Sky Sports when they bought rights in 2012
- The Englishman recently revealed that he shared a ‘mutual hatred’ with Schumacher
Sky Sports veteran and former F1 world champion Damon Hill has ended his career with the broadcaster after 13 years and hundreds of races.
The Englishman took the title at the end of a glorious 1996 season with Williams, winning 22 Grand Prix’s in eight years.
His career was littered with battles with his main rival Michael Schumacher, who eventually claimed a record seven world championships.
Since retiring in 1999 after being ousted by manufacturer Jordan, Hill has held important positions, such as president of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, but has spent much of his time lending his expert analysis to the F1 coverage from Sky Sports.
But now the tough guy has waved the checkered flag on his broadcasting career, stepping aside from his role as a pundit after more than a decade.
In an emotional message on his
Graham Hill has left Sky Sports after 13 years providing his insight into their F1 coverage
The presenter had a great racing career in the 1990s and won the world championship in 1996
Michael Schumacher (center) defeated rival Hill (left) to win the Formula 1 world title in 1995
“I will miss the most impressive group of professionals I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I’m looking forward to new challenges.’
Sky Sports won the rights to show the sport in 2012 and Hill has been regularly featured in the coverage since.
He will leave the broadcaster at the end of the current season, which reaches its finale on December 8, following the departure of colleague Johnny Herbert ahead of the 2023 season.
The veteran insisted he had “no idea” why he had been fired and that he had taken the call from bosses who thought his contract would be extended.
Hill followed in the footsteps of his father Graham, who won two F1 championships in the 1960s and was a star of the sport in the 1990s.
He narrowly missed Schumacher in the 1994 season when the German appeared to deliberately collide with his car to avoid being overtaken, but he still managed to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year shortly afterwards.
Two years later he won the award again, after his memorable victory at the world championship.
Hill’s departure from Sky Sports comes after he revealed he and Schumacher shared a mutual hatred on the track.
Damon Hill has been part of the coverage since Sky Sports bought the rights in 2012 (pictured, right, with Simon Lazenby, Martin Brundle and Red Bull chief Christian Horner from left to right)
His father Graham won two World Championships in the 1960s before his death in 1975
Schumacher is widely regarded as the greatest driver of all time, with seven F1 world championships to his name
‘Michael and I actually got along well, but on the track we hated each other. “It was and is not possible to act in any other way if you want to become Formula 1 world champion,” the 64-year-old told the German newspaper. BIL.
‘There was no room for niceties. You have to exploit every weakness of your opponent and wear him out in the process.’
He added: ‘Michael was a master of psychological games. He made me feel useless and untalented. And he also told the press. Because he won a lot of races at the time, there was no reason not to believe him.”
Schumacher was seriously injured in a skiing accident in 2013 and has not appeared in public since. Since his accident, he has been receiving care 24 hours a day.