Damon Hill became the first son of a Formula 1 World Champion to win the title himself when he took the 1996 championship.
Hill’s father, Graham Hill, won the World Drivers’ Championship in 1962 and 1968. Damon reached Formula 1 relatively late, making his Grand Prix debut in 1992 after competing in motorcycle racing and lower-level car series.
Driving for Williams, Hill won eight races in 1996 and beat teammate Jacques Villeneuve to the championship. The title made the Hills the first father-and-son pair to win Formula 1 championships, a distinction later matched by Keke and Nico Rosberg.
Hill’s championship season was also notable because Williams dominated the Constructors’ Championship. Despite that success, Williams did not retain him for 1997. He moved to Arrows and then joined Jordan, where he won the team’s first Grand Prix at Belgium in 1998.