Damon Hill unveils memorial tribute to father

Formula One star Damon Hill was today unveiling a memorial plaque in honour of his late racing driver father who died in a plane crash in 1975.

English Heritage was commemorating the World Champion Grand Prix driver Graham Hill OBE by putting a Blue Plaque on the family house where he and Damon lived for 12 years in Mill Hill, north London.

During the early years of his racing career, a young Graham Hill was a mechanic at Colin Chapman’s Lotus Car works in Hornsey, where he quickly progressed to become a driver for Team Lotus in 1957.

Transferring to British Racing Motors in 1962, he won his first Grand Prix and emerged as the first British driver ever to become a World Champion in an all-British manufactured motor car.

In 1966 Graham became the first newcomer in 40 years to win at Indianapolis, and a year later he won his second World Championship, this time with his old team mates at Lotus.

Hill was the only driver ever to achieve the triple crown of the Formula One World Championship, Indianapolis and Le Mans.

His son Damon retired from Formula One after the Japanese Grand Prix in 1999, with one World Champion title in 1996, 22 wins and 361 championship points.