Watching the Wheels: My Autobiography

Damon Hill, as he attempts to remind us in this book, is many things, but most people who pick up "Watching the Wheels" are likely to know him as the 1996 winner of the Formula One world drivers’ championship. He’s the son of Graham Hill, who was twice world champion in the 1960s before his death in a plane crash all too shortly after retiring from racing.Both of these most conspicuous facets of Graham's life – his racing and his untimely passing – had a profound effect on his son, which Damon is at pains to trace throughout his autobiography. More than just the story of a man who lived what will seem to many of us an exciting life, writing is clearly an act of catharsis for Hill, who by his own admission is offering this book at this point in his life not because he wanted to wait to write it, but simply because he wouldn't have been able to do so any sooner.There is a sense of elegy to the proceedings. Hill seems to sense more keenly than most autobiographers that he is summing up and laying out his life, picking over it for whatever is interesting or instructive. Early on, he says he doesn't want to be remembered solely or even primarily as the 1996 F1 champion, and maybe this contributes to the tone – the hope that he can tell the story for the last time and then be done with it.In any case, he does a good job of being fair with himself, honest about both his triumphs and his mistakes. Hill was active in Formula One throughout most of the 90s, and while his name isn't always the first to come up when people start arguing about the great drivers, he was often near the thick of it with the likes of Senna, Schumacher, and Prost. He has some insights into that era of the sport that will interest fans, including his own ideas about why Ayrton's car got away from him on that awful day at Imola. But this is not a behind-the-scenes tell-all. It is Hill's very personal review of his own story, and the main appeal is not thoroughness or opinion so much as it is an unusually intimate glimpse of a person's life.How satisfying that is may depend on how much interest you have in Damon Hill's story, or how hungry you are to know how one particular driver found his way into and around Formula One. In its idiosyncrasy and vulnerability, though, "Watching the Wheels" is unmistakably, and memorably, Hill's work and testament.~

Being a Damon Hill longtime fan, this book was a surprise and an absolute a joy to read. I remember most of the races and the sweet and sour events that dotted the racing career of this great champion, ethical sportsman, with a personality and interests that go way beyond his public image. On one side, he is son of his father, with all the need for speed, competence, and will to carry the Hill torch into another generation (his son Josh seemed interested in continuing, but he changed his mind.). For better and for worse, Damon's life has been marked by that sad day in November 1975 when Graham passed away in an air accident with his entire racing team. It is also very interesting to see many great names and characters very familiar to F1 lovers through his eyes - in many cases, the impression was mutual :)On the other hand, Damon has been giving back thanks to his charity work that helps people better understand the needs and the lives of kids and adults with Down syndrome - his son, Oliver, lives a happy life thanks to a program promoted by his family and other great people.But the book is also about Damon and his love for music, his dive into depression and his dissatisfaction with the racing world, eventually overcome by maturity and a good dose of detachment from the environment. Last, but not least, an amazing page where he describes what can only be called a peek into enlightenment. Well written and superbly researched, I'd love to thank Damon for this book and for being a real Champion on the racing track and in life.

Fascinating insight into Damon's early life as son of an enigmatic double world champion, and his own journey into racing and up through the ranks.An interesting perspective is given on Senna's accident, which occurred when they were teammates and Hill was close behind him on track, and where he was closely involved in the subsequent investigation. The book is otherwise filled with anecdotes from his early days when his father was racing, up to his last days in F1, and include many well-known characters from the F1 scene.I starting watching F1 during Hill's championship year, and watched his subsequent relegation to lesser teams and seeming demise. However, reading a personal account of these events - and gaining an insight into everything that was going on behind the scenes - really illustrates what a narrow view we have of these events as spectators. I therefore highly recommend this book to anyone who's followed F1 during his career. Even as a newer fan it might be interesting to see what it takes to get into F1, and become a champion.

Damon Hill's father, Graham, was my childhood idol. He drove racing cars on the international circuit and was oh so English. Consequently, I may be a bit biased. This book has a surprising amount of information about Graham Hill, which was a bonus for me. At the same time, Damon gives clear insight into his own struggle to enter the Formula 1 world and his ultimate success. What was surprising was his revealing coverage of his angst in the years following his 1996 World Driving Championship. Well-known Grand Prix correspondent Maurice Hamilton helped with the book—no doubt adding to its readability. I would have given it 5 stars except that the photo section was weak and there was no index of Damon's racing career.

What an excellent biography. I gained a whole new insight to Damon Hill, for which I am grateful for the opportunity. When a racing driver writes a book that makes you ponder your own development I think that says something. Of the hundreds of books on motorsport I own, this one was not only brutally honest, but refreshing as well. Good On 'ya Damon, the book is excellent!

The strongest driver bio/autobio I've read. Very revealing. A little too much about the influence of dad Graham, but that's understandable. I've since passed the book to two other racing fans, both of whom also thought it a very good read.

I was a fan of F1 in the Senna, Prost and Alonso years, and was never a fan of "that Damon Hill". I remember Damon Hill entering F1 and thinking - he's only got a seat because of his dad - having read this book, I realise I was so wrong - sorry Damon. I remember thinking - he's not that good a driver - but having read this book I realise the car was usually the problem - again, sorry Damon. I used to think - gosh that Damon Hill always looks miserable - read the book, and then you will understand what he really went through.The book is a really really good read, great insights (especially Damon's view of the cause of Senna's death - bearing in mind Damon was Ayrton's team mate at the time so driving a nearly identical car). Just the right amount of info about Damon's dad - the great Graham Hill.Read the book - it will enlighten you about the real Damon Hill; you wont be disappointed.Damon, well done on everything you've done in your life, the book is great, you deserve the title of being a former F1 World Champion; and good luck in all the future work you do.

A thoughtful and valuable insight to a man who has struggled with his inheritance. For someone who often appeared quiet and sullen, Mr Hill does not hold back on emotion when he writes. He feels he needs to explain to people why he was so dour during the years leading to his championship. He had plenty to be upset with. If you really want to know what the journey to becoming a top driver in F1 is like, this is the book that will tell you. It does not make pleasant reading. Like most of us interested in fast cars, I had the fantasy of being an F1 driver. Believe me, after reading this book, you would have second thoughts. Only ever as good as your last race, feelings of paranoia are misplaced...they actually are all out to get you! If it's not the media, it's your fellow team driver. If not him, then amazingly it's the management of your team who seem unable to provide support. Add to this, the loss of his teammate, Ayrton Senna and many other close friends and colleagues over the years and you have the ultimate in long-term stress. Mr Hill, in managing these issues while being fiercely focussed on trying and then finally winning the world championship, damaged himself. He didn't know he was doing so until much later when the broken man that he had become realised he had to stop - literally right in the middle of his last race. There followed years of misery with depression the like of which only people who have suffered similarly can even begin to understand. Now, twenty tears later and at peace with himself, he has felt able to explain his life. There are no punches pulled about his father's death, the people who he worked with over his racing years or indeed, himself. It is a heartfelt autobiography written well by Mr Hill and will definitely change your perception of the man.

This is a great book. Interesting, enjoyable and honest. Damon not only gives us a complete and comprehensive life story but is totally honest and open about so much more, including very personal accounts of depression and emotional baggage that he carried for so many years following the tragic death of his father in 1975 when Damon was just 15 years old and the subsequent legal and financial repercussions caused by reasons he explains with great candour. That he rose to become a Formula One world champion himself is an amazing and inspirational story. That he still had unresolved deeply emotional issues even during the heady years of his F1 career was very revealing but it is how he has dealt with these and through much grit, courage and determination effectively rescued his family, especially his mother, from the awful aftermath of his fathers accident. I am exactly the same age as Damon and met his father 2-3 times in 1975, one of which was to do an interview with him to the crowd at Brands Hatch and remember later seeing the sheer pressure in his face as he watched his team work on the Embassy Hill F1 car which really struck me, even as a 14 year old. I also remember like yesterday seeing the same TV newsflash as Damon on the evening of 29 November 1975 and reading Damon's memories was quite emotional even for me and this part of the book makes me only begin to understand just how catastrophic this awful night was to be for the family, for so long. Damon handles this difficult subject with honesty, sensitivity and emotion. This excellent book is an amazing story of triumph, against the odds, over this tragedy and demonstrates that however long it might take you can prevail. There is no ghost writer here, These are Damon's words and those who read his articles in a specialist F1 magazine already know what a fine writer he has, and everyone will see the same skills in this book. A great guy, family man, brave, determined and deservedly successful, Mr Hill I salute you.

I started watching F1 during the 1992 season when I was 9 years old. Watching Mansell and Senna go toe to toe around the streets of Monte Carlo gave me a buzz I hadn't experienced before and I was hooked, but I hadn't yet had a favourite driver as I hadn't watched enough of it. However, in 1993 Mansell had retired and was replaced by another Englishman by the name of Damon Hill. My F1 knowledge was literally non-existent, but I liked Damon's smooth driving style out on track and those white stripes on that dark blue helmet. So that was it. The Williams number '0' was now my favourite car and driver and the next seven years of my life would be filled with absolute joy and painful despair. I started buying everything related to Damon: books, model cars, videos, caps and even his famous 'eyes' T-shirt! Even though he had written his book on his 1996 Championship, I always wondered whether Damon would ever write his official autobiography. As time passed, I thought it would never happen. Now he has, and my goodness it was worth the wait. Excellent writing, structured brilliantly and no subject left off the table, Damon tells his story almost like a confession. Even by the halfway stage of the book, he hasn't got into F1 yet - that's how much of his early life he pours out on paper. The reasoning behind his getting into a racing car, his open admissions that he started out too late and was never a naturally-gifted driver (just like his dad), his battles with his demons which have festered since childhood; every single page is perfectly laid out and well-thought out. He doesn't dwell on things too much - which is good seeing as he's done so much in his life - and keeps you hooked throughout. I thought I knew everything there was on Damon Hill, but how wrong I was. I am now more of a fan than ever; even for the non-F1 person it's an astonishing read about a child who lost his famous father, and then did everything he could to match his achievements and to close a chapter that his dad had left open for over two decades. An absolutely brilliant book. 10/10

Damon Hill bares his soul in this riveting read. If you've ever wondered how difficult it is to start from nowhere and succeed in motor racing, just read this book. The best motor racing autobiography since Niki Lauda's 'To Hell and Back.' Damon describes in detail his struggle to succeed initially in motorcycle racing and then in single seater racing cars. As one who tried Formula Ford myself I know how terribly difficult it all is. The big difference we learn is that Damon didn't give up. Persistence is the key even in the face of perversity and the apparent impossibility of achieving your goals. There's a lesson to be learned here for us all. Don't give up!It's easy to recognise and empathise with the human element in this story. Damon lays bare his feelings in a brutally honest and articulate manner which is rare amongst humanity in general and even more so when you consider that he is in fact a Formula One World Champion.Two things to finish this report. Firstly, I met Damon at Brands Hatch at a very early Formula Ford event. I wished him luck with his career and subsequently followed it with interest. It was great to see him triumph against all the obstacles life throws in your way. Finally, I was fascinated to discover that both of us had blown up virtually the same chemistry experiment whilst at school. It just goes to show that both incompetent racing drivers and World Champions are rascals!It's a marvellous book and I highly recommend you read it.Clifton Hughes.