Hill braced for backlash

As Formula One heads for Hockenheim, Williams driver faces examination of character from German press and public

David Tremayne
Saturday 22 July 1995 23:02 BST
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IF Damon Hill has seen any of the German tabloid press headlines in the past week, he will be expecting a rough ride when the grand prix circus moves to Hockenheim next weekend.

Normally it is the home contender who feels the greatest pressure to perform in front of his countrymen - as Hill did at Silverstone - but the Briton remains the man bearing the greater burden as Schumacher basks in the support of the German fans following his crash with Hill in the 46th lap of last weekend's British Grand Prix. Bild Zeitung, Germany's equivalent of the Sun, pulled few punches, with headlines such as "Schumacher's Life in Danger - How Mad is Damon Hill?"

Their clash, which came when Hill dived for a gap at Priory Corner, has turned their simmering feud into a bonfire of the profanities. A year ago Hill endured a death threat at Hockenheim, the first race after the controversial penalties imposed on Schumacher at Silverstone for overtaking Hill illegally on formation laps.

"The call came through to the team motorhome on the Friday," Hill said. "The message was that if I was ahead of Michael, I would be shot on the Sunday."

Though that was clearly a crank call, the authorities advised Williams to take it seriously. "Under the circumstances it was difficult to feel relaxed," Hill continued. "Certainly, I couldn't enjoy quite so much the banter with the German race fans, most of whom were fantastic and very friendly."

Williams know what they are getting into this year. "We've had a good chat about it with Damon and we are all aware that they are probably not going to like us," a spokeswoman said. "We'll take precautions and we will be careful not to do anything to inflame the situation. But we will be going to Hockenheim to do our job, just like last year."

Michael Schmidt, grand prix reporter for the influential Auto Motor und Sport magazine, said: "I don't think the public is going to be very nice to Damon, but maybe what he did was not so stupid. Schumacher couldn't pass Alesi early on, and Barrichello couldn't pass Blundell, even though they were quicker. Maybe it was better to risk it rather than be further behind Schumacher in the championship. I don't think for a minute anyone's going to try and attack Damon, but there will be a lot of banners and catcalls. The atmosphere will be heavy."

Hill will be under as much pressure in Hockenheim as Schumacher would have been had the 1994 British Grand Prix been run immediately after their controversial clash in Adelaide last November settled the outcome of the world championship in Schumacher's favour.

But where Schumacher was generally seen to have nobbled his rival deliberately by cutting across into him, Hill's error last weekend was just a factor in a racing accident. It was his first serious mistake since he joined the Williams-Renault race team at the beginning of 1993. Regardless of blame, the incidents again highlighted how difficult it is now to overtake in Formula One, a shortcoming at present under investigation by the FIA.

Hill's relationship with Frank Williams and his partner, Patrick Head, the technical director, is not as comfortable as it appeared in 1993, when he was promoted from the test team to partner Alain Prost. As the Frenchman drove to his fourth and final world title, Hill netted him three victories and established himself in the front rank. His determination and resilience also sustained Williams after the heart of the team had been ripped out when Ayrton Senna was killed in 1994.

Last week the team issued a strong denial of reports that Frank Williams had called Hill a "prat" when discussing the incident with the Benetton team. "Damon did all and more than we asked of him last weekend," read an official statement. "The aim of the entire Rothmans Williams-Renault team is to win both world championships and we know from not only his performance in the British Grand Prix, but also in his 39 other races with us that Damon is the only driver who can challenge Michael on equal terms."

In all probability Williams made the remark, one of those throwaway condemnatory comments that arise in volatile situations but mean nothing, within hearing of opposing sources who then made judicious use of it. But the denial may have been papering over cracks. Hill's desperate move may in part have been prompted by a desire to prove once and for all to sceptical team principals that he is a racer, and to assuage his feeling that, having been plucked from the test team, he is regarded simply as part of the furniture. Had he followed Schumacher to the line he would have been castigated as much as he was for taking him out, so it was catch-22.

This may say more about Hill's character than those of Williams and Head, but some years ago the 1982 world champion, Keke Rosberg, accused Williams of never forgiving him "for not being Alan Jones". Jones, a brawny Australian, grew as Williams grew, and was largely responsible for achieving the results that set it on the road to fame, winning the drivers' championship in 1980. Ironically, it was not unknown for Jones to make precisely the sort of error that Hill made last Sunday.

Though sensitive, Hill is thick-skinned and professional enough to shoulder opprobrium, and smart enough to know that yesterday's villain is frequently tomorrow's hero in Formula One. He, more than anyone, appreciates the irony of that whenever he thinks back to Adelaide.

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