‘Tough bastard’ Damon Hill ‘could never have a conversation’ with Sir Frank Williams

Damon Hill recalled how he never was able to get a conversation going with Williams co-founder Sir Frank Williams.

But, later branded a “tough bastard” by the F1 icon, that was a triumph for Hill, who claimed his sole World Championship with the Williams team.

Sir Frank Williams no chatterbox with Damon Hill

Having started his Formula 1 career with the ailing Brabham team, Hill went from Williams test to race driver for 1993. It proved an inspired choice, Hill winning the 1996 Drivers’ Championship. 21 of his 22 grand prix victories came as a Williams driver.

But, in an interview with The Guardian, Hill admitted that one of his toughest tasks was to get any words out of the team’s legendary co-founder and team boss, Sir Frank Williams.

“I could never have a conversation with Frank,” Hill revealed.

“People used to say they’d spoken to Frank and it was all lovely and I’d go: ‘Honestly?’ I couldn’t get two words out of him and it would dry up and he’d stare at his tea. I’d say: ‘Do you want me to go now?’”

Hill may have won the 1996 title, but it was his final season with Williams, as the team opted for Heinz‑Harald Frentzen to partner Jacques Villeneuve going forward.

At least no longer being at Williams meant Hill got some praise from Sir Frank, and an admission that an error was made.

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“You can’t condemn people for having to do that when they’ve got a massive company to run,” said Hill of his Williams exit.

“I think he did feel something – not remorse, but he was uncomfortable having done that to me.

“Latterly, he said something like: ‘We should have kept you on.’ It was a little late, but nevertheless appreciated.

“He said some nice things about me after I’d gone. He called me a tough bastard, which is a compliment from Frank.”

Following his time at Williams, Hill spent 1997 with Arrows before switching to Eddie Jordan’s team. There, Hill famously headed a Jordan one-two at the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix. Team-mate Ralf Schumacher was ordered to hold station in P2 and see home the result.

That led to a confrontation between Ralf’s brother Michael Schumacher and Eddie Jordan in Jordan’s motorhome. Michael was already in a foul mood after a collision with David Coulthard had eliminated him from the race, the pair clashing in the pit lane.

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