Damon Hill, the 1996 World Champion, has announced that he will return to Sky F1 screens next month with the release of a new documentary based on his life.

It comes after the 64-year-old parted company with the broadcaster at the end of last season following a war of words with Max Verstappen, the Red Bull driver and reigning four-time World Champion.

Damon Hill to make Sky F1 return with new documentary

Hill became the first son of a World Champion to lift the F1 title in 1996, following in the footsteps of his father, the two-time World Champion Graham Hill.

Hill’s emergence as a grand prix star came after the tragic death of his father, who was killed in a plane crash aged 46 in 1975.

The Hills remain one of just two father-son duos to be crowned World Champion in Formula 1, along with Keke and Nico Rosberg.

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Hill joined Sky F1 as a pundit after the broadcaster took over the Formula 1 broadcast rights in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2012, attending a number of races each season.

However, he left the Sky F1 team at the end of last year after being criticised for his strident views on Verstappen, who clinched a fourth consecutive World Championship in 2024.

Hill, who now works as a pundit for BBC Radio 5 Live, has announced that he is to reunite with Sky F1 with the release of a new documentary.

Simply titled Hill, the film is described as an ’emotive portrait’ of the 1996 World Champion and a story ‘about identity, resilience and devotion’ as he fought to reach F1’s summit.

The film, which will include homemade video material, will debut on July 2, three days after the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.

In a statement provided to PlanetF1.com by Sky, Hill said: “This film is a highly personal telling of my life and Formula 1 career.

“It reveals my real motivation to succeed and how the death of my father, Graham Hill, affected me.

“Is [sic] also a tale of trying to win a world championship, racing against the toughest competitors in an ultrauncompromising [sic] world, the tension that placed on my family and how I tried to keep a balanced perspective against a backdrop of chaos and stress.

“I know I’m biased but I think you will love this film whether you are a total Formula 1 nut or just someone looking for a great uplifting film to watch.

“I’m really proud of how this film turned out. I think it’s a real gem.”

The film has been directed by BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Alex Holmes, with Sky F1 presenter Simon Lazenby involved in the production team via his Sylver Entertainment company.

Lazenby took to social media to express his pride at the imminent release of the documentary, revealing that the film has been in the works for seven years.

He said: It’s only taken seven years, but delighted that our film about Damon Hill is to be released on Sky Documentaries on July 2nd.

“It’s been a labour of love for all involved Sylver Entertainment. Hope you enjoy it.”

Hill’s departure from Sky F1 was announced in November last year, just weeks after he likened Verstappen to Dick Dastardly, the villain of the children’s cartoon series Wacky Races, after the Red Bull driver clashed with McLaren’s Lando Norris in Mexico.

Former Sky F1 pundit Johnny Herbert, who was working at the time as an FIA steward, revealed that Hill was left “very unhappy” by the public reaction to his comments.

In an interview in March, Hill said he “would like to think” that Sky F1’s decision to dispense with his services at the end of 2024 was not related to his views on Verstappen.

Hill renewed his criticism of Verstappen in the aftermath of this year’s Australian Grand Prix after fellow four-time World Champion Alain Prost likened the Red Bull driver to the late F1 legend Niki Lauda.

Responding to Prost’s praise of Verstappen’s “directness”, Hill said: “I agree with that. He never misses a beat.

“But Lauda drove with his mind, not his fists.”

Hill was also left unimpressed by Verstappen’s clash with George Russell, the Mercedes driver at the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this month, which left the Red Bull man on the brink of a one-race ban.

Asked for his view on the incident, Hill wrote on social media: “It was a little ill-judged.

“Maybe he thought he’d done enough to satisfy the ‘giving back the place’ bit?

“The rest was over the top. As usual.”

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