F1’s greatest drivers series continues this week with the man ranked ninth. Last week, Belly Up Racing started at ten with Fernando Alonso. This week, we fire up the Delorean to go back to the Swinging 60s. It was a time of excess, fun and sophistication. Nobody embodied those traits better than Graham Hill. The British racer personified cool. He was a suave man that rocked a moustache similar to Dick Dastardly’s. However, Hill was no Wacky Racer. That decade saw Hill become the biggest name in all of racing. He did it by being the fastest man on the planet.
Mr. Monaco
The Monaco Grand Prix is the most prestigious event on the F1 calendar. It is the one race that every driver is desperate to win. In front of the rich and famous, the supermodels and film stars, every racer desires to tame the narrow streets of Monte Carlo. The 1960s bore witness to Hill’s greatness. He won the race an incredible five times. Back then, Monaco was a dangerous race; the barriers were dangerously tight. To tame an unruly beast of a race car on those streets is like trying to throw a football while being pressured by Lawrence Taylor plus Demarcus Ware. It is a challenging task. Yet, Hill managed to dominate in the principality. The maverick felt at ease in Monaco; his on-track displays confirmed that. In the following 60-plus years, only one man surpassed Hill’s Monaco Grand Prix wins total. Hill tamed F1’s toughest test in a dominant, swashbuckling manner. He truly earned the nickname of Mr. Monaco
The Triple Crown
Graham Hill is the only man in history to win the Monaco GP, Indy 500 and the Le Mans 24 Hours. He raced in an era where it was much more common to see drivers jump into different categories. Nonetheless, he is the only man to achieve this astonishing feat. Hill took the Borg-Warner trophy in 1966. That was an absurd achievement. Banked speedways lined with concrete walls is an entirely different examination for F1 drivers. We’ve seen a plethora of drivers go to Indy only to struggle at the back of the field. Hill demonstrated a poise on the oval, showing super ability to lap quickly and consistently while running up near the wall. It was a magnificent victory.
Six years later, Hill would conquer the most formidable challenge in racing. The 24 Hours of Le Mans tests man to the brink. Twenty-four hours on the Circuit De La Sarthe is mentally gruelling. Even more so as the course back then was more dangerous than the present iteration. By 1972, Hill was past his prime. Nevertheless, he was more than good enough to win at Le Mans. Public roads made up a large portion of the track. Therefore, they could never install sturdy safety measures on those sections.
At high speed, a crash might’ve resulted in significant injury or death. Hill attacked Le Mans with no fear, as well as in that attacking manner that made him famous. Graham Hill is still the only driver to complete motorsport’s Triple Crown.
A Double World Champion
Graham Hill enjoyed considerable success in his F1 career. He took two world championships in his career. His determination combined with his great understanding of a racing car made him such a hard man to beat. He was also a great team player. After the tragic death of his teammate Jim Clark, Hill picked up Team Lotus to take them to another world title.
Hill was a smooth driver that allowed him to drive with superb control in all conditions. It also allowed him to excel at setting up the car. He was a fantastic driver when it came to providing his team with technical feedback. It is a critical component of racing. Hill was a trailblazer in that regard. Graham showed the F1 world that other styles of driving could be successful.
Why He’s in the Top Ten
Graham Hill is in the top ten because he is one of the fastest, smartest drivers ever. The way Hill could work out track conditions so quickly set him apart from many of his contemporaries. It is also why he was fast in any racing car. Add that skill to his high confidence plus his raw speed and Hill was an impeccable racing driver. He was F1’s first poster boy, the first superhero that the sport saw. His legacy is one of great speed as well as being a gentleman racer who made it look cool. Hill would tragically die in a plane crash in November of 1975. He was taken far too soon. However, his legend lives on.
