Full Throttle

Phil Hill the only American born Formula One world champion died Thursday in a California hospital due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 81 years old.

Hill will be remembered as one of the greatest race car drivers in American history, having won the 24 Hours of Le Mans on three occasions, 12 hours of Sebring three times and the Italian Grand Prix, among others. He will also be remembered as a great writer, known to many for his years of work writing about cars and automotive history for Road & Track.

Hill’s championship was the result of one of the toughest season-long battles in Grand Prix history. In their new mid-engine Ferraris, Hill and his teammate, German Wolfgang von Trips, swapped the title lead from race to race. There were personal triumphs, like Hill driving the first-ever sub-9 minute lap at the difficult Nürnburgring. But also frustrations, as when Stirling Moss knocked him out of contention during the French Grand Prix when Hill was well in the lead.

It was not until the penultimate race of the year, the Italian GP at Monza, that the title was settled in Hill’s favor. Von Trips was killed in a terrible second-lap accident with Jim Clark that also killed 14 spectators. Hill, by continuing on (to the drivers on the track, the incident looked no worse than other shunts thus far in the season) to finish first, and became the first American Formula One champion.

Hill was frustrated again when Enzo Ferrari decided not to participate in the year’s last GP, ostensibly out of deference to the Monza disaster. Hill and others believed that Ferrari simply didn’t want the expense of sending the team overseas with the manufacturers championship firmly decided in Ferrari’s favor.

Louis Stanley, writing shortly after the season, put it this way, “The absence S.E.F.A.C. Ferrari was regretted. It would have been a timely gesture to send one car for Phil Hill, the first American to become World Champion, but sentiment has little place in the Maranello setup.”

Thus the newly crowned World Driver’s Champion wasn’t able to compete in home Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen.

Phil Hill is survived by his wife Alma, son Derek, daughters Vanessa and Jennifer, and four grandchildren.

Ferrari’s president Luca di Montezemolo sent his condolences: “I, as well as all employees of Ferrari are extremely saddened by the news of the passing of Phil Hill, a man and a champion who gave so much to Ferrari and who has always greatly represented the company’s values inside and outside the racing track. Phil Hill raced and won many competitions both with prototype cars, like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Sebring, won three times each, as well as with F1 single seaters.

With our car, Phil won the Formula One Championship title in 1961 as the first American-born to reach this result. Phil and I have always kept in touch throughout the years and I know I will miss his passion and love for Ferrari very much. My deepest sympathies are with his wife Alma and son Derek in this sad moment.”

Other racing community reactions to Hill’s passing and an excellent article originally printed by Automotive Quarterly in 1962.

Full Throttle also sends its respects and condolences to Hill’s family, friends, fans and fellow competitors.