1996 Formula 1 champion Damon Hill has spoken out for the first time since his departure from Sky Sports F1 after 13 years of punditry for the broadcaster.
The former driver parted ways with the dedicated F1 channel at the end of 2024 with his last appearance covering the São Paulo Grand Prix. After the announcement of his leaving in November, his colleagues were quick to share their support.
Its been a fantastic 13 years with @SkySportsF1 but all good things come to an end. I will miss the most impressive bunch of professionals it has ever been my pleasure to have worked with. Looking forward to new challenges #f1 pic.twitter.com/mdRxOJWVW2
— Damon Hill (@HillF1) November 15, 2024
“Damon I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of both racing against you and commentating on you in F1, working alongside you on SkyF1, and decades of friendship. It’s been a blast, with much more to come,” Martin Brundle wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Celebrated strategist-turned pundit Bernie Collins wished him well:
“I will personally miss you immensely! I’ve loved working with you over these past two seasons. Thank you for all the support. See you soon!”
Billy McGinty, director of F1 at Sky Sports, also thanked Hill for his work, saying:
“We thank Damon Hill for 13 incredible years with the Sky Sports F1 team, where he has been an integral part of our coverage, bringing unparalleled insight, expertise, and passion to our broadcasts. His unique perspective, shaped by his own legendary racing career, has entertained and excited fans worldwide. We wish him all the best in his next chapter.”
Damon Hill
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Alongside his career on television, he would often be found on the F1 Nation podcast where he’d offer his insight into the trending topics of the sport alongside such names as Natalie Pinkham, Tom Clarkson, and Alex Jacques.
It wasn’t confirmed why the broadcaster and Hill parted ways, but many have criticised the pundit for his comments surrounding Max Verstappen.
“The second move was just daft and Dick Dastardly stuff,” he said in regards to a battle between Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris during the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix.
“He accelerated to the apex and drove Lando off the track and Lando didn’t have many options. That was silly driving.”
Now, in a conversation with The Telegraph, Hill commented on the rumours surrounding his exit, admitting that he would hope it wasn’t down to this.
“I would like to think not. I hope not,” he said. “I think I felt like the end was coming anyway, because I was kind of pushed back all last year. I was doing the less attractive races.
“And they’ve got younger, fresher names. They’ve got Jenson [Button], they’ve got Nico [Rosberg].
“And that’s fair enough. I completely get it. They’re closer to the front line than I am.”
Hill’s broadcast career hasn’t come to an end, however, as he reveals where he’ll be working this 2025 season.
“So I’m doing Network 10 [the Australian TV channel] at the season opener in Melbourne.
“But I don’t really want to traipse around the world just standing around in the paddock. It’s got to be something that uses your bonce, you know?
“I can’t just stand there and wait for a question to be asked. It doesn’t do it for me.
“I always felt like I had a kind of ill-fitting suit on when I was with Sky.
“I didn’t feel I got to a place where I could express everything I wanted to, like I’m doing in this interview now, because there isn’t the time.
“I mean, they’re brilliant at it. But there are much better people than me at it. I only did it as a temporary job and I ended up doing it for 12-13, years!”
After adding that he thought Martin Brundle was “an absolute genius”, he admitted that his hunt for the perfect role wasn’t finished after he was asked if he’d like to work within an F1 team once again.
“I would love that,” he admitted. “I’m a natural competitor and I’d love to be involved again in trying to help someone or something be competitive.
“That’s what I understand really.”
Alex Harrington
Formula 1
Damon Hill
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