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There was an excellent hour long documentary last night on BBC4 about Graham Hill, called DRIVEN. I know we have some F1 fans on the forum and I can highly recommend it, if it comes on again - BBC4 often repeat programmes, so if they do give it a go?

Some of the old footage was great.

GG

I saw bits of it GG - very interesting it was too !  loved all the old 70's clips !

The film was made by MSP - Mark Stewart Productions (Jackie Stewart's son) back in 2003. It has taken until now for a TV channel to take it on and show it and very good it was too. I particularly like the fact it was not biased, despite massive input from his family - Graham could be a real bastard to people he employed or worked with and this side of him was shown too. I know people who worked for him and they say he was very difficult. The same can be said of Graham's team boss at Lotus, Colin Chapman.

However, the nice funny side of Graham came across too. He could be very kind and generous. I remember being at Brands Hatch in 1967. It was freezing cold, pouring with rain. Yet Graham sat there on an oil drum, his flat cap on, signing autographs for a long queue of young fans, myself included, when all of the other drivers were tucked away in their caravans or the clubhouse away from the elements. It made my day getting that autograph.

I still recall getting in from school, when the newsflash came on (to interrupt the kids TV programme my younger brother was watching), about his air accident in November 1975. Absolutely devastated, he was one of my heroes and I saw him race many times, including his last F1 race win in the International Trophy at Silverstone in 1971.

It was tragic too that his young English driver Tony Brise ( for the Embassy Hill F1 team) was also killed, including 4 other team members. Tony was a brilliant talent, fantastic in the lower formulae before F1 and had a great career infront of him.

Despite the Hunt's, Mansell's, Damon Hill's etc, coming onto the scene later, many commentators say Lewis Hamilton is the best British prospect since Tony Brise. I agree with them. very sad that Tony was lost before we could see what he could do in F1.

For sure Graham would be very proud of the success Damon had, despite severe financial difficulties. When Graham died, all the money had gone. His F1 team was in severe debt and the family were left with nothing.

Damon struggled to get to F1 and not many people outside of racing know, but his year in F3 in 1987 was paid for by George Harrison, himself like many musicians a huge racing fan and one of Graham's many friends. George said it was a loan ( rumoured to be £100K which was what an F3 season cost back then) but later said 'call it sponsorship' and didn't want it back.

Also, watch out for Graham's grandson ( Damon's son) Josh. He has just started racing. He is doing the Ginetta Junior sportscar championship and already a winner and front runner in the races. This is most impressive because he has no go-kart experience. All of the other 15-16 year old youngsters in this series have raced karts for at least 4-5 years. Must be something in the genes?

A pity we do not have the characters around in F1 anymore like Graham. Drivers now have to watch everything they say, doing the 'corporate speak'.

Yet again Andy, a most interesting post.
   

Thanks for the further info Andy an interesting read (as always) and further insight into the legend. He was quite something, especially around Monaco. I'm also a fan of Le Mans and was there watching with great interest when Mario Andretti had a pop at Graham's Triple Crown record.

I must admit it would have been fantastic to be there and witness him do it, especially in such a unique place, but I am glad in a way that he didn't equal Grahams record?. Anyway, Mario has his own Triple Crown as the only driver to win the F1 title, the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500, so that's no mean feat - a Le Mans victory as well would have been a quite incredible achievement.

GG

Thanks fellas. Graham's record is under threat again in 2 weeks time!
As the only man to win the F1 world championship, Le Mans 24 hr & Indy 500, another challenger is on the scene. 1995 Indy 500 winner & 1997 F1 World Champ Jacques Villeneuve from Canada is doing the Le Mans 24hr race with Peugeot on June 14/15th. They have been the quickest cars in the other sportscar races so far this season, and Jacques was on the winning team last time out. They stand a very good chance of winning, if they can go the 24 hr distance.

The Peugeots (and closest competitors Audi) are very quiet for racing cars, as they are diesel powered. All you hear is a 'whooosch' as they drive past, as the French Le Mans organisers do not want any dirty black diesel smoke in the air, so they have huge silencers that act as particle traps too, to catch the smoke. Another example of racing developing systems that will appear on road cars in years to come to help the environment.

However what they will do about the smoke from thousands of barbeques among the campers in the 300,000 crowd over the weekend I don't know!