Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve have mentioned their time as Williams team-mates and preventing for the drivers’ championship in 1996.
The Canadian driver made his Method 1 debut with the Grove outfit in 1996, becoming a member of Hill as they each fought for the championship title. It was the Briton who in the end gained, and Villeneuve completed second, with Michael Schumacher in third.
“I at all times discovered it so much tougher to battle your personal team-mate as a result of it is the identical automotive,” Villeneuve mentioned on the Williams Workforce Torque podcast. “It is the identical automotive, you share the setups, you’re employed as a group, however you continue to have to beat the opposite facet of the group.
“After which it is powerful for the mechanics and the engineers as a result of they’re alleged to work for the group, however after all, it turns into a little bit bit private. I’ve at all times discovered that a little bit bit tougher than preventing a driver that is from a distinct group, like Michael.”
The 1997 champion later added: “It is all right down to the respect whether or not there’s respect or not. For those who respect your team-mate, he is a man to beat. You wish to be higher as a result of he is good, not since you do not assume he is any good.
“Once I acquired into F1, I would been watching you racing since my Method 3 days as a result of we each had the identical sponsor after I began racing after they needed the sons of ex-racers.
Damon Hill, Williams, Jacques Villeneuve, Williams
Photograph by: Sutton Pictures
“I would been watching you get to F1 as a result of on the time I used to be in Japan and racing within the States, and I would seen the hardships you have been via.”
Hill defined that the similarities of their childhoods led to mutual respect between the 2 of them. Each Hill and Villeneuve adopted their fathers, two-time champion Graham Hill and six-time grand prix winner Gilles Villeneuve, into the racing world. Additionally they each tragically misplaced their fathers at a younger age.
“Jacques’ dad was a racing driver. He was very sadly killed when Jacques was solely very younger. My dad was a racing driver, and I misplaced my dad,” Hill mentioned.
“So, I at all times felt there was some kind of widespread expertise there. However we got here into this sport with, I feel, a robust sense of sportsmanship from each our dads.”
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