Damon Hill replaces Jenson Button in Williams F1 return
Williams has announced that 1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill will return to the team.
Damon Hill is returning to Williams 30 years after winning the 1996 Formula 1 world championship with the team.
Hill will take on an ambassador role at Williams alongside fellow F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve and three-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick.
The 65-year-old Briton effectively replaces Jenson Button in the position, weeks after the 2009 world champion left the role to join Aston Martin.
This year will mark the 30th anniversary since Hill secured his maiden F1 world title with Williams, with whom he claimed 21 of his 22 grands prix wins, as well as 20 pole positions.
Hill helped Williams seal the constructors’ championship in 1994, the same year he controversially missed out on the F1 drivers’ title to Michael Schumacher.
Since retiring from F1, Hill has worked as a pundit for Sky Sports F1 and most recently BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Williams is truly a special place for me and where some of the defining moments of my career took place,” Hill said.
“I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of this sport and to have achieved what I did, and returning as an Ambassador is a real privilege.
“It’s an opportunity to celebrate the team’s history and help to support its legacy and future.”
Williams F1 team principal James Vowles said: “It’s an honour to welcome Damon back to Atlassian Williams F1 Team as an Ambassador. Few individuals represent this team quite like him.
"Damon played a defining role in one of the most successful eras in our history, becoming a World Champion with Williams and leaving a legacy that continues to inspire the team today.
“We’re also delighted that Jamie Chadwick and Jacques Villeneuve will continue with us as Ambassadors. Together, they form an impressive line-up that reflects everything Williams stands for: our history, our commitment to opening doors and developing talent, and our ambition to compete at the very highest level again.
“Having figures like them representing Williams as we move forward is something we’re immensely proud of.”
Earlier this month it was confirmed that Button had joined Aston Martin as an ambassador despite never driving for the team during his F1 career. Button did however have stints with Honda powering his F1 cars.
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