Phil Hill Story - Formula One World Champion

[@frankengels7843]

I miss him and think of him every day. I worked with him on his favorite cars and helped out as much as I could with any other stuff going on...when no one else was around to do it. Great man and family.

[@davidatanacioelchampandela8899]

Knew about Hill in the 80's when there was no internet or social media. Just good ol' magazines. What an American Legend & yes hardly any recognition. Viva Hill!!

[@colin5196]

Well, this video was a shock. I haven't heard Phil's voice in eight years now. Here is what I wrote the day before his funeral. Did you notice that Phil veered into philosophy/psychology in some of the above clips? He was known as Hamlet In a Helmet. I knew him as Uncle Phil. * * * My first real memory of Phil Hill, was a rather kinesthetic one. He had invited me to attend the Hershey Meet in 1969 when I was just ten years old, and the indescribable joy of being with my hero is still ... indescribable. I woke up leaving the back seat of a Ford Galaxie 500 on my way to the floor as he critiqued not only the sloppy handling of the Ford but also the driver of the car we had just avoided. That very instant, I realized that I felt perfectly safe with Phil and I fell back to sleep easily. Phil was the only driver in whose company I could fall asleep easily and awake to violent pitching and a little swearing with barely an increase in heart rate. Jennifer, his beautiful step daughter, can fill you in as well on many of her visits about the passenger cabins of various automobiles charged with the unenviable task of executing Phil's demands. Phil's demands came from deep places, and this corporeal world was barely up to them. They sprang from a vision of perfection, and Phil would not accept anything less, much to the great benefit of all of us who got swept into the currents of his quest. He took me for a ride in a Ferrari 250GTB with a six-pack of Webers sitting atop a V-12 when I was twelve down Jeremiah Road in rural Connecticut, a road that I had traversed by bicycle or in our sleepy Volkswagen Bus innumerable times. I knew that road in every way, every off-camber corner, every blind hillock, every crumbled shoulder, every overhanging branch. With the yowl of that engine exciting nerves that had never fired before in my life, I prepared to die gloriously happy. . . . instead, we came to the end of the road and turned around. "Let's go fast now." The return trip destroyed any thrill from any roller coaster ride ever since. The brakes were smoking gooood when we pulled into the driveway. We put on faces of nonchalance (to better hide my terrorized joy) as my mom stared hard at Phil and the wafting haze coming from the wheels. I next experienced Phil's racing as a 23 year-old adult at the Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix in 1982. We were only doing a hot lap on an empty track in the pace car, and I looked at the tachometer with alarm as he blithely revved well past the red line. He saw my questioning look and shouted over the engine, "it's a Toyota, I take another ten percent." And then he laughed as we pitched hard into the corner, delivering a glass smooth heel-and-toe double-clutch downshift at impending lock-up. I saw Phil in his element, his was the spirit of an excited child executing supremely competent adult expertise. And that was Phil. Taking another ten percent because he knew he could. And he knew he could, because the Universe talked to Phil Hill. And that was because he was listening in the first place. Phil was listening and watching and considering all things because he was driven by his deep curiosity that not only wanted answers, but also wanted the gestalt, the experience of perfection, however fleeting. So while he could communicate effectively that tightening up the roll bar on this car would give him a quicker exit past the apex on that corner, the sensation of perfection tickling the edges of the Laws of Physics was his reward. Phil was seeking beauty in all number of places. His sensitivity towards a car working hard underneath him came from his ability to hear and feel the mechanical concert of automotive design no less than his ear could deconstruct and rebuild a piano concerto, rendering opinions not only on the phrasing of the piece but the harmonics of that e-string twanging slightly, and his love of the beauty of it all sailed right on through his entire day. Phil found his old age just as it found him. Driven to understand this life, he had to come to terms with what is it all for, "you die and all of your conclusions die with you, what the hell good is that?" Well, Phil. Here we are, shocked at the loss of you and your verve and your conclusions alike, but I'm guessing that the Great Design you loved and sought has other ideas. I am guessing that we all here now shall carry the baton of your unique spirit into our lives and pass it along to the all the people we shall touch. We who love you have no choice but to be the people who knew and loved Phil Hill. That is what it is all for. There is no choice. There is this tapestry of spirit through time, reaching into all number of places, weaved with the thread of all souls who know and love each other through time, there is this vision, it is beautiful, it is a concert of Great Perfection that is already here, Phil, and the twanging e-string is a part of it, and so were all of your spin outs at Tillois that motivated the hundreds who saw you to try again, and try again, and try again, in their own pursuit of perfection. The beauty of your love shall sail through our days and weave through the people we meet and love. And someday, we too, shall pass on our spirits to those we leave behind, and though they may not have your name on the tip of their tongues, they will be the far the richer nonetheless. What the hell good is that? Colin

[@samuelbehrendt6291]

I hope you write books mate.. very good writing aside from the passion of the subject

[@timford3599]

Phil Hill was a true renaissance man! Truly worthy of comparison to the European Masters of the 18th and 19th centuries. My memories of The Great Man were those of a calm and gentle man with a singular focus not found in many before or since. An example is noted by the fact that on his return, in this video, to Maranello Il Commendatore, Enzo Ferrari himself emerged from his "seclusion" to greet his great champion. I especially loved that he drove for Jim Hall in the fabulous Chaparral cars winning at the "Green Hell" of the fabled Nurburgring 1000km endurance race, among many other victories. Phil ranks right up there with Daniel Sexton Gurney as an American and a gentleman who could take it to the best drivers the world and beat them at their own game on their own tracks! (Absolutely NO disrespect to the great Mario Andretti.)

[@ryangarritty9761]

Phil Hill : still underrated, I think, although there have been few better, given he won in both front- and rear-engined F1 cars, and sports cars too.

[@1969JohnnyM]

Its shocking that Hill wasn't a bigger star in America than he was, when your an F1 World Champion the whole world knows who you are and whatever anyone says Formula One is the premier racing car championship there is, the cars are the fastest and most technological cars that exist, a rally or stock car is like a shopping car by comparison. One can say F1 has its faults but its champions deserve the most respect out of all the winners of car events, there are a few single events that are as great 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Indianapolis 500 but none that is an actual championship like F1 which makes it harder to win.

[@Kellsboro]

How in the world could anyone dislike this video? It was about as honest a view of a quiet but highly skilled man who "came, saw and conquered" then moved on. Great narration by the late Brock Yates too.

[@adrianodosveras]

2008... also lost my father that year... I'll never forget it.

[@JohnGeorgeHill]

Really enjoyed this. Phil was a class act.

[@KingRoseArchives]

+John G. Hill A real competitor who was so focused.

[@iflick7235]

When Phil Hill died, it hard got a mention in the news. One of only two American World Driving Champions.

[@lukmanfirdaus8497]

late reply,but only true American

[@mrrolandlawrence]

mario andretti you may be surprised to hear was born in italy!

[@iflick7235]

@@mrrolandlawrence Oh, I know. But he raced as an 100 percent American

[@juan833blue]

And the ONLY True American F1 World Champion. Mario Andretti was born in Trieste, Italy and thus he wasn't fully American.

[@liamfarrell9702]

Im from Coventry,home of Jaguar,which gets a mention in this video.We were the Motor City of the UK. Great story and so tragic he seems little known and under appreciated in the States

[@JAG312]

20:02 I was there at Laguna Seca when Phil drove the Alfa Romeo 8C2900B. I had a really good picture of Phil driving the car, and later he autographed it for me. I'm somewhere in the background, but I can't find me.

[@philgiglio9656]

So good to see Phil Hill, Jo Bonnier , and Clay Reggazonni again.

[@derekantill3721]

I am very proud to have a signed photograph of Phil Hill.

[@DubularNugular]

Would it happen to be on a Ferrari issued postcard?

[@eastbaystreet1242]

There is a picture of me and the other drivers pulling out of the Ferrari factory after our cars had been prepped. Phil is running out of the gate (in the foreground of the photo) before us to get out of the way. He later wrote a note to me on that picture, reminding me to watch out for those cold tires (I had a first-lap spin during practice the day before). Classic Phil. Such a gentle, warm, powerful soul. No sugar-coating. Just a gentle, but very specific reminder.

[@derekantill3721]

@@DubularNugular No

[@adriancole3165]

Great presentation. Incredibly informative. Knew a little bit about Phil Hill, so thanks for supplying the missing 99%.

[@josezurita3742]

"I have won many races for Il Commendatore but I have never been his type of driver. I've seen many men die behind the wheel of a Ferrari, and however, Enzo continues to offer his favors to those who risk the most. As far as I'm concerned, I am not willing to become one of his sacrificial animals" Phil Hill (April 20, 1927 - August 28, 2008) Greetings from Venezuela. "He ganado muchas carreras para Il Commendatore, pero nunca he sido su tipo de piloto. He visto muchos hombres morir al volante de un Ferrari, y sin embargo, Enzo sigue otorgando sus favores a quien más se arriesga. Yo por mi parte, no estoy dispuesto a convertirme en uno de sus animales de sacrificio" Phil Hill (20 de Abril 1927 - 28 de Agosto 2008) Saludos desde Venezuela

[@tali4569]

Lived just off St Vincente Boulevard Santa Monica. One of the most pleasant places in USA

[@caribman10]

I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Hill at the "First Annual Riverside Reunion" (and the only one...) at the Petersen Museum. It was the year he died. It was obvious he wasn't in top physical form but he was as kind and gentlemanly to a fan (me) as would have been your best imagining. he even had a conversation with me about relative noise levels in enclosed race cars... After I got off my cloud and back to my hotel room (I got to meet Chuck Daigh, Carroll Shelby, Phil Remington, Dick Guldstrand, Bob Bondurant, Parnelli Jones, Dick Wallen and a host of others) I looked at his signature...shaky, but there. He was a fantastic man and driver, low-key until the end.

[@caribman10]

Oh, and by the way: in 1961 after winning the World Championship, Mr. Hill was a guest on the game show "To Tell The Truth". Not one panel member guessed that he was the World Champ......

[@KingRoseArchives]

Thanks for sharing your memories.

[@damage98]

If you watch this and it hits the spot, if it moves you, if you marvel at the human story, these drivers' ability to swallow their fear, to race knowing death was omnipresent, then I want to recommend you read 'The Limit' by Michael Cannell. It's breathtaking, and some chapters jump off the pages and grab you by the throat. I've reread it many times. RIP Taffy Von Tripps et al.

[@stefanvreven902]

Yes Sir, I am reading this book at the moment, that's how I got here , just wondering if there was anything from Mr Hill, I am astonished by this vid and the book is a must have, cheers.

[@juan833blue]

Mario Andretti was the only other American to win the F1 World Driver's Championship but Mario was born in Trieste, Italy.

[@VinnyDaQ]

America's only F1 champion...until 1978, when Mario Andretti became the 2nd American champ!

[@jamesbraun9842]

He was born in Italy. He was only American because he lived in America

[@crazydrummer181]

James Braun he was still an American citizen. He's not the only F1 driver to represent a different country than where he was born.

[@phoenix0282]

@@crazydrummer181 America's born only F1 champion

[@badgumby9544]

@@jamesbraun9842 Andretti is a dick. So is his son. Some experience with them in karting, back in the day. Aldo and John were the exact opposite.

[@jackoff1826]

44 years later, and barely any American drivers have even been in Formula 1 since Mario

[@cee128d]

Hill's win at Monza in 1960 was not the first time in 39 years that an American born driver won a Formula 1 race. Johnnie Parsons in 1950, Lee Wallard in 51, Troy Ruttman in 52, Bob Sweikert in 55, Pat Flaherty in 56, Sam Hanks in 57, Jimmy Brian in 58, Roger Ward in 59, and Jim Rathman in 1960 all won a Formula 1 race.

[@KingRoseArchives]

cee128d I think what Brock Yates meant was that Hill was the first American born driver to become World Champion not the first to win a Formula One Race. At least that's what I'm hearing.

[@cee128d]

King Rose Archives Watch it again at around the 14:15 mark Brook clearly states that in 1960 at Monza Hill became the first American to win a Formula 1 RACE in 39 years. Hill didn't win the F1 Championship until 1961, also at Monza.

[@KingRoseArchives]

cee128d He needed you to go over his script. But sounds like there was an edit right before that sentence. I'm betting it's the editor or producer's fault. Wish we had an "Eagle Eye" award but thanks for the correction.

[@jpmoh1]

cee128d Those American wins were at the Indy 500. They were not F1 races but were included in the F1 Title.

[@cee128d]

Jack Moses Duh, being included means they were an F1 race. How difficult is that to understand.

[@nikolatesla7983]

16:48 What Ayrton Senna was ding in 1962 behind Phil Hill ? Learning secrets ?

[@12121149]

Bye the way,fantastic video.

[@KingRoseArchives]

+Pete Smith Thank you. He was quite a driver.

[@BorisNoiseChannel]

16:07 ish: it looks like the car's left front wheel sits further back than the right one. Or is it just me? (do I need glasses?)

[@omologato9375]

Would love to be able to download this video. Anyway to do so?

[@KingRoseArchives]

We license our videos for other uses. Other than that we hope you enjoy watching it on KZbin.

[@jeffrielly]

They stopped using the oval at Monza over Saftey, not because it fell into disrepair.

[@Michael_Lorenson]

Banking, per se, is not unsafe for racing, though it does pose safety challenges. We have hundreds of banked race tracks here in the U.S. The Monza banking, in large part, was unsafe because it needed repair. The surface was simply too rough and undulating. After F1 engines doubled in displacement from 1.5 to 3.0 liters between 1965 and 1966, the cars were so much faster (and enough heavier) that use of the banking had to stop. The alternative would have been to rebuild it but the money and the will were not there. It did surely need safety improvements, such as a better outside retaining wall. But I believe the way that particular banking is constructed (it's still there) was probably the deal-breaker. My recollection is that Monza's banking is partially suspended above the ground!

[@EpicTyphlosionTV]

We need Americans back in F1

[@12121149]

He was the first and only American to be a Formula One World Champion,not the first American to win a formula one race.

[@lemkelegion]

+Pete Smith Well, there could be more American winners for sure,

[@jackchuhran7136]

Actually, you are wrong with both of your statements. Phil Hill was NOT the only American to be Formula 1 World Champion; Mario Andretti won the 1978 championship. This film was made in 1975, so at that time Hill was the only American F1 champ. Hill was the first American to win an F1 race. Terminology matters -- Grand Prix racing goes back to 1906 and F1 was created in 1950. There have been other Americans to win Grands Prix (yes, the plural of Grand Prix in French is Grands Prix) and the last one to win a European Grand Prix before Hill was Jimmy Murphy who drove a Duesenberg to win the 1921 French Grand Prix. The FIA counted the results of the Indy 500 from 1950 thru 1960 in the F1 championships, so an argument can be made that those Indy 500 winners won Grands Prix, but because the 500 had different technical rules regarding engine size, fuel, etc., you cannot say they won Formula 1 races.

[@joaoemmanuelariza6381]

ANDRÉ SOUZA DE CERQUEIRA

[@sanjursan]

Pheel Heel.

[@philgiglio9656]

Turn 1 at COTA is named for him...and it is a rather steep climb; with a blind entrance to 1.