At the start of the year, I felt that given the machinery, there were bound to be places where I would win because of sheer chance. I didn't want to rely on that because I knew I had to show my ability. So I looked at the season and made an assessment as to where my best opportunities might come.
Because it is my second season with the team, no time has been wasted in getting to know the people I'm working with. I am aware of what the team is capable of and how the organisation works, and they are familiar with what makes me tick.
Failure should be nothing more than an embarrassment, like ending up in a gravel trap, rather than spending weeks in hospital.
I am not allowing myself to get carried away.
I am surprised people took so long to pick up on the fact that my contract expires at the end of this year. Eddie has to decide who he wants to drive, so there is no secret anywhere. I am not concerned. It does not sit with my objectives to be competitive.
I am very much aware that if I am getting good press at the moment I could just as easily be getting bad press. I cannot have the good and forget the bad. You have to accept it both ways.
I had a lot of time to think, and that is not good for your mind. And when it actually happened, it was not so much a celebration but the relief. It was an exorcism anxiety. After each race there is a procedure in which you get taken off to the podium and the TV interviews.
I have always liked a challenge.
I nearly won the British Grand Prix in 1993, but missed out when the engine gave up on me. That moment was one of sheer disappointment.
I think at times I appear to be miserable when I am not... I might be having quite a good thought at that moment, but it seems I look miserable. I am not.
I try to keep myself on an even keel by trying to be as critical of myself as I am of other people. I try to separate my performance from myself.
If I am pushed I will push back, that is the way I am. I am very British. We don't like to be pushed around. When the chips are down we might have to step into grey areas.
If I am treated fairly, I like to do things in a fair manner. That is the way I have been all my career. I haven't tried to do things in an underhanded way.
If someone is being absolutely critical of me as a driver, what could they say? I am also critical of myself to try and keep things in perspective. That is very important.
It completely astonishes me how often I get recognized by so many and such different people. That is a measure of the incredible appeal that F1 has.
It was five years since I'd won a race, so I was a bit bewildered.
Last year was a lifetime, a whole career in one season. We went from being the dregs to winners.
People ask me to describe myself, but it's a very personal thing. You don't feel comfortable.
Realistically, we could aim for the top three in the constructors championship. Realistically, we could look at winning more races. Three race wins would be very satisfying.
Some books claim I have already clocked up a century of Grands Prix, but let me put the record straight. Australia will be my 100th start, and I aim to mark the milestone with a cracking performance. It could even be celebrated with a victory.
The British tend to shy away from the spotlight. We don't like being singled out in any way, and I think that is something which is important for me to learn to do.
The problem comes when you say that danger is part of the equation. Then you don't do any more work on safety. That shouldn't happen.
The sport would not survive today if drivers were being killed at the rate they were in the 1960s and '70s. It would have been taken off the air. It is beamed into people's living rooms on Sunday afternoons, with children watching.
The whole experience is rising to the challenge every time. You never know what might happen. You might be talking to the future world champion.
There are a lot of factors in the life of an F1 driver which can combine to make you believe that you are somehow above normality. I think that is a mistake to start believing that. But, at the same time, it is important to be confident.
To be honest, I think for part of my late teens my character didn't really develop very much. I was in a state of cold storage.
We came to the tracks where I knew I should show well, and I knew I had to play my joker and really go for it. Silverstone was the first place where I looked like I was going to win, and I felt good about Hockenheim, too.
Winter testing is essential but there comes a point where you have had enough of all the rehearsals and the pretend racing. You just want to get down to the real action.
You learn by experience, and overcoming setbacks make you stronger and means you are prepared for any eventuality. Now I am who I am, slightly batty in some ways, but in other ways fairly level-headed.
You should never feel comfortable. There is something wrong if you are. You should always feel under threat, on the edge of your seat and pushing yourself. Win one and you want to win more. It's never-ending.
During his racing career Damon often played guitar in front of a crowd of F1 fans at the British Grand Prix. In 1995 he was joined by fellow driver Johnny Herbert. In 1999 Damon's team boss at the time, Eddie Jordan, starred on drums while he played for his fans for the very last time at Silverstone.
Damon was good friends with ex-Beatle George Harrison, with whom he played guitar several times.
The sponsors on Damon's helmet have been AGV (Helmet Manufacturer), Cellnet, Ricoh, Arai (Helmet Manufacturer), Camel, Olympus, Elf, Renault, Canon, Sega, Rothmans, Andersen Consulting, Danka, PlayStation, Remus, Delphi, Benson & Hedges and Hill Sport.
Notable battles with Michael Schumacher Damon and Michael Schumacher clashed frequently on the track in the mid 1990s: Japan 1994: Schumacher led the early stages of the rain-soaked event only for the race to be stopped after Brundle's McLaren crashed. Hill took over the lead at the re-start and pushed very hard to beat Schumacher, the acknowledged ‘rain master’, in the wet and take the title fight to the final race of the season in Australia. Adelaide 1994: Schumacher went off the track while leading the last race of the season. He returned to the track at reduced speed where Hill tried to pass him at the next corner. The two collided and both retired. The world title went to Schumacher by a single point. Silverstone 1995: At his home grand prix and trailing Schumacher by 11 points in the championship, Hill attempted to pass the German going into Priory 11 laps from the end of the race. The two collided again and both retired. Hill described it as a "racing incident" while Schumacher compared it to Adelaide 1994. Spa 1995: The two made contact at the Les Combes corner. On this occasion Schumacher received a one-race suspended ban. Monza 1995: On lap 24 Hill and Schumacher collided when trying to lap Taki Inoue. Neither accepted blame. Hill questioned why Schumacher was "suddenly doing nought miles an hour", while a majority of Schumacher fans described it as a "stupid move" by Hill. Hill received a suspended one-race ban, which was never put into effect. Nurburgring 1995: On lap 18 Hill attempted to overtake Schumacher but the German blocked and squeezed him to the edge of the track. Hill locked up and hit the back of the Benetton. Hungary 1997: After qualifying third in the usually uncompetitive Arrows, Hill passed Schumacher cleanly on the inside on lap 11 going into the first corner before pulling away into the lead of the race. Canada 1998: Schumacher accused Hill of "dangerously weaving" while they were dicing for second. Hill responded by saying that Schumacher's comments were "rich" coming from someone who forced Heinz-Harald Frentzen off in the track in the very same race
By the end of his career, Damon had 7 doubles (pole position & win)
By the end of his career, Damon had 20 Pole Positions.
By the end of his career, Damon had 40 retirements from F1 races.
By the end of his career, Damon had been on the F1 podium 42 times.
By the end of his career, Damon had participated in 122 GPs.
Damon led a grand prix 69 times during 1384 laps in 45 Grand Prix, covering a total of 6471.025 Km.
Damon and his wife Georgie have four children together: Oliver (4 May 1989), Joshua (9 January 1991), Tabitha (16 July 1995) and Rosie (1 February 1998).
Damon attended the Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School in Hertfordshire.
Damon won the Formula One championship in 1996.
For the 1998 season, Damon moved to the Jordan Mugen Honda team and finished 6th in the championship. His best result was one win at Belgium.
Damon moved to the Arrows-Yamaha team for the 1997 season and finished 12th in the championship. His best result was a second place finish in Hungary.
In 1994, Damon had six wins in F1 with the team Williams-Renault. He won at Great Britain, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Japan and Portugal and finished 2nd in the championship with 91 points.
Damon became test driver with the Brabham-JuddWilliams-Renault team in 1992.
In 1990, Damon raced in the Formula 3000 championship with the team Middlebridge Racing.
In 1988, Damon had 2 wins in the Formula 3 championship.
In 1986, Damon had 6 wins in the Formula 3 championship with Murray Taylor Racing.
In 1984, Damon also took part in the British Formula Ford Championship. He was named rookie of the year after he achieved one win and a fifth place in the Formula Ford Festival.
In 1983, Damon participated in Motorcycle competition.
The Chassis Damon raced with in his F1 career are as follows: Brabham BT60B (1992) Williams FW15C (1993) Williams FW16B (1994) Williams FW16 (1994) Williams FW17B (1995) Williams FW17 (1995) Williams FW18 (1996) Arrows A18 (1997) Jordan 198 (1998) Jordan 199 (1999)
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