Murray Walker had known Damon since boyhood thanks to the connection with his father Graeme. He’d followed Damon’s career (& life!) all the way through. It’s no wonder Murray got a little emotional when Damon won the world title
Damon is a very self deprecating person. He would be the first to admit (and has done in many subsequent interviews) that he was not on the level of a Senna, or a Prost or a Schumacher but that on his day he could match them. He was deserving of his championship. Eight wins (twice that of any other driver that year) speaks for itself. Those who say that 'he only won because he had the best car' know nothing about motorsport and F1 in particular. The majority of champions can attribute their success to having excellent machinery. Damon joined williams in late 1991 as a test driver and had worked his way up through all the junior formulae which a lot of young F1 drivers these days don't do. For me watching this race as an 11 year old back in 1996 was the best thing in the world. I have found it difficult to get as excited about F1 since despite watching almost every grand prix since 1993, because frankly there isn't really anyone worth following.
RedPhroggz 4 out of the top 5 finishers were still on Goodyear tyres that weekend, so were 9 out of the top 10 qualifiers (Hill was the only one on Bridgestones on both occasions).
I will never, ever forget this lap, this race, this season... Damon Hill was my one and only F1 hero. In my eyes, he was the true winner of the Hungarian Grand Prix in 1997 with his Arrows.
This really was a golden time in Formula One, with a great grid, exciting racing and the greatest commentator in the sport's history. RIP Murray. Thanks for everything!
I can never forgive Frank Williams for the way he treated Damon Hill. Damon wasn't the greatest grand prix driver of all time, but to replace him with HHF - what was the point?
All because of 1995. In 1995 Williams was arguably the greatest car in the field (Although the Bennetton was not that far of) So for Hill who look liked the best challenger for the champion to get dominated by Schumacher in the inferior Bennetton was embarrassing. Also count in the fact that Hills attitude did not help and that he asked for a pay rise and Frank wanted to get rid of him and signed HHF for the 1997 season back in 1995.
Failed to win the Championship in 1994 despite the FIA doing almost everything to help him. Underperformed and was completely owned in '95 by Schumacher despite still having the Renault Engine who he took off with himself at both Silverstone & Monza. Only won in '96 because a far superior car to everyone except his teammate. Frentzen was a good driver but went to Williams at the wrong time when Ferrari & McLaren were on their way coming back towards the front of the field.
Frentzen also could moved to Williams in 1994 to replace Ayrton Senna. But he didn't, because of the Wendlinger Accident in Monaco. I think HHF would have challanged Schumacher more than Hill did. But we all can't know.
@@markoates1100 Well, I was quite a student, 19 yrs old, so for me this was a little relief after the disappointment 2 years ago, when Michael did the unthinkable to get the title from Damon. Still can't forgive him for that. But Damon finally did it. good job. By the way, when you are six, how can you remember the race, the sport, the championship at all? I barely remember my first GP in Hungaroring 1986, when I was nine.
You have to remember that Hill was never intended to be a Williams driver. He got the seat purely because Mansell decided not to stay on for 1993 and Patrese (who they would have gladly kept) had already jumped ship to Benetton thinking Mansell would stay. Then in 1994 they imagined he would simply be there to be Senna's number 2, and when that went south they suddenly discovered they had to make him the lead driver, and then blamed him for not winning the title in 95.
@@MrSniperfox29 I like Hill, don't get me wrong, and I was delighted he won the '96 WDC, but a number of drivers could have done real damage to Schumacher in '95 in the Williams, Hill was just too slow. Don't forget in '94 an out of shape Mansell jumped in the Williams twice and immediately went as fast as Hill at France, and at Adelaide was over half a second faster than Hill. That was unacceptable.
@@markmark5269 Mansell wasn't that out of shape since he was still competing in CART at the time of the French GP and as soon as that season ended he immediately returned to F1 for the last 3 races
You can just feel the emotion in Murray Walker's commentary - the best ever Grawnd Pree announcer of all time giving his words to this equally amazing moment.
RIP Murray sadly passed away earlier today :( god love him! I'll always remember this bit of footage Murray was so pleased for Damon ❤️ what a lovely guy what a legend!
"...Michael Schumacher passes Damon Hill but too late." :) I've uploaded this video because this was the greatest sport experience in my life. I was 14 then. Good old times... Thanks for the lot of comments that you have done during the years!
Knowing that Murray was a personal friend not only of Damon but Georgie and their children and had known how much they had gone through made this commentary possibly the most emotional ever. You can hear his voice break when he sees Georgie. Also at the end when the two embrace. It's one of the greatest commentaries ever. RIP Murray your voice lives on.
R.I.P Murray, you were (and always will be . . . ) the voice of F1 for hundreds of thousands of us. As much a part of it , probably even MORE so than teams and drivers who have come and gone over the years. Iconic.
Theo John jv's championship season, whilst being underwhelming enough to forever have him on the "worst champion" shortlist, at least saw him fighting off a championship-capable michael, whereas damons championship season saw him only have to fight off a rookie teammate who knew none of the tracks (indeed, the fact that damon was run so closely by jv that year makes the jv > damon case virtually inarguable, no matter what happened in following seasons). and jv's now-forgotten handful of remarkable performances in appalling BARs (before his ability seemed to vacate his body around 2003) are certainly better than damon's lamentable three seasons following his championship, especially the last one when his teammate was in the running for the title (at fucking jordan, remember), during which damon managed to set a bar for childish unprofessionalism that even the hardcore douchebaggery of jv's twilight years was no match for
jemimallah jaques was 10 points behind damon going into the last race also damon had 22 wins and loads more podiums than jaques also jaques knew brazil and canada. he lost the championship in that year the year after he had a good fight with michael but look how good michael is in a car thats not close to being the best so jaques only won it because he only had to fight with shumacher and not damon as well and may i remind you that damon almost won in 1994 against shumacher
@@theojohn3747 Damon only got close in 1994 because the FIA helped Damon. A LOT. 1995 showed how much better Schumi was than Hill, and Williams quite rightly dumped him for 1997 as the only person he had to fight with was a rookie teammate who knew none of the tracks. If Alesi and Berger weren't together at Benetton and it were someone else was in Berger's place, it wouldn't have been anywhere near as easy as it was for Damon to win in 1996.
Patrick Head @4:51 the least happy Technical Director to have just seen their driver win a world championship. Sacking Hill and losing Newey was the beginning of the end for this team.
Not the best world champ of all time I concede . But bloody hell on his day could beat or match the best and brightest of the day . Loved his determination , his frailties , his respect for all , and above all his gentlemanly approach to racing amid huge pressure and expectations . Late starter who achieved more than most . Japan and Adelaide 94 , All 96 , Hungary 97 and Spa 98 showed he could race . Miss those days
I was born 99 so i haven't got a chance to watch any of these races from 90's live but i have huge respect for Damon. Competing and winning against Senna, Schummacher and Villeneuve at the time seemed like impossible task but he nailed it! :) also hearing legendary Murray Walker in the comentary box is just the icing on the cake
Thanks very much for posting. Murray Walker's line "and I've got to stop, because I've got a lump in my throat" is my all-time favourite sporting moment, and Damon is my all-time favourite F1 driver. May not have had the raw pace of Schumacher, but by God he was a grafter and a gentleman too.
This gives me goosebumps... I remember getting up at ridiculous o'clock in the morning to watch this. I was only 6 and probably Damon's biggest fan! Here's to another English champion this year :)
This is the Formula 1 moment I’ve watched more than the rest, it’s just sad he couldn’t defend the title in the Williams the following season, Williams went downhill after this, they only just won the titles in 1997 but with Adrian Newey and Renault engines gone they’ve never been that close since and Hill s career likewise after this never recovered.
As a 43 year old Irish guy you would be surprissed to hear that Damon was my favourite F1 driver of all time. I come from Bray Co Wicklow Ireland and he and his family spent time living in Ireland just down the road in a place called Dalkey Co Dublin. I loved he and his dads helmet cIolours along with the Rothmans colours so much that at 18 I took up motorcycling ..........only because I could wear a helmet which I put the white along with a Rothmans stickers which to this day I still have. Great times.......As much as I like heary Muarry.....Isnt it great to see the whole pit wall cheer on the chapion.
Damon Hill, no matter what happened after this race, will ALWAYS be the greatest driver ever in F1 to me. I woke up one sunday morning (I was 9 years old), never watched F1 before, and I managed to catch the last few laps of this. This race, this lap, this man got me in to Formula One. And it makes it even more special to know that he clawed his way up to get the championship. This is motoracings Cinderella Man. No question. God bless you Damon!
Finally champion like his father Graham Hill. Very exciting it has a lot of emotions!!! Made me remember the best driver all the time AYRTON SENNA. Sorry but it always made me cryi like now...snif... Congratulations Hill!!!
Villeneuve was so close in that race to win a championship in rookie season 9 points behind Hill in last race in Suzuka.Finally next year 1997 was Villeneuve`s year.Two Williams team drivers and Frank Williams team principal will always be grateful to them.
Still my favourite F1 lap, and always will be... always make me well up and remember waking up early as a 7 year old boy wanting my hero to win the world championship.
Remember every second of this. Watched live. I was rooting for Damon and was happy. I love his caps - the most unique, the most unique design. Until now, I have not been able to buy it anywhere... Farewell, rest in peace, our dear Murray Walker. He was a good friend of Damon.
should dig up the slow-mo footage of Hill going through the first chicane at the 95 Adelaide GP they where showing during that race, just constant 4 wheel slides through the whole chicane, and doing it lap after lap. He really had Schumacher's number at every race there. very under rated driver.
The late Murray walker, what a legend, one of my fav Murrayisims is the first 3 cars are all escorts, which comes as no surprise as its an all escort race. May he never be forgotten,.
I’d have carried on watching f1 if Murray was still commentating. Wish he was a younger man in the 90s. The excitement and enthusiasm he drew was first class.
Murray Walker is a legend! Pls bring him back to commentary of F1! This is one of the biggest moments of F1 racing :) Never heard Murray being so much choked up as he was that time! Damon and Murray, may you not be forgotten. For your lifelong dedication to Formula 1. I have a huge lump in my throat too, every time I see this.
This was one of my earliest F1 memories, I got up early in the morning to watch this in England, I'd always loved watching Damon, he was the perennial nice guy in F1 and a truly great driver He was cruelly denied/cheated out of the championship in 94, he was the best driver in that season too but Schumacher (great driver though he is) had a nasty streak that won out in the end. Anyway, great memories, love Murray's commentary. Williams made a mistake in getting rid of Hill and they paid for it
