Between 1958 and 1972, Graham Hill took the start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 10 times. Over the course of those 15 years, he carved out one of the top track records in the history of motorsport.

Obtaining his driver's license at an age when most young hopefuls had already honed their ambition in ladder series (it was in 1953 and he was 24!), Graham Hill debuted in Formula 3. In 1958, he competed as a rookie in both Formula 1 and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Lotus.

Formula 1 World Champion in 1962 with BRM, he participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1963 and 1965 at the wheel of a Rover-BRM turbine prototype. Predating the current Garage 56 at the 24 Hours, in 1963 the Rover-BRM ran outside the standings and gave Graham Hill his first checkered flag at Le Mans. Two years later, the Rover-BRM finished in 10th place officially. The year before that, Graham Hill reached the second step on the podium at the wheel of a Ferrari fielded by British team Maranello Concessionaires along with Swedish driver Jo Bonnier.

In 1966, he and his Ford GT40 were forced to retire. He would not return to the 24 Hours until 1972, but during those six years Graham Hill managed to accomplish a great deal. In 1966, he won the Indianapolis 500 for his very first participation. Two years later, he won his second Formula 1 world title, carrying a Lotus team still reeling from the death of its star driver Jim Clark. In 1969, he established a win record at the Grand Prix of Monaco (1963, 1964, 1965, 1968 and 1969) that would hold for nearly a quarter of a century until it was beaten in 1993 by none other than Ayrton Senna.

Graham Hill made his way back to Le Mans in 1972 with Matra, joining Henri Pescarolo. The Franco-British duo triumphed in the wake of a stunning battle with teammates François Cevert and Howden Ganley. That win made Hill the only driver up to that point to win the famous motorsport Triple Crown, with in order, the Formula 1 world title and wins at the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

When Graham Hill retired from competition at the end of 1975, he was also the record-holder for Formula 1 participations with 176 Grand Prix over 18 seasons, a record beaten thereafter by Riccardo Patrese (256) then Rubens Barrichello (323). Hill's intention was to focus full-time on the Formula 1 team he founded in 1973, sadly he was killed in an airplane accident on November 29, 1975.

His son Damon, born in 1960, debuted at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1989 (retirement) before himself becoming Formula 1 World Champion in 1996. Damon's second eldest son, Joshua (born in 1991), participated in a promising season in Formula Renault 2.0 in 2012 (five wins) and took part in an anniversary exhibition of Matra's victories at the 24 Hours, before announcing his retirement at the young age of 22.

 

Click below for previous installments in this series:

24 Hours of Le Mans and Formula 1 (1) - Four World Champions for 10 stories

24 Hours of Le Mans and Formula 1 (2) - Mike Hawthorn, the British trailblazer

24 Hours of Le Mans and Formula 1 (3) - Phil Hill, an American one-two punch

24 Hours of Le Mans and Formula One (4) - Jochen Rindt, at full throttle

 

PHOTO (Copyright - Archives/ACO): In 1958, Graham Hill debuted at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Lotus, the same marque with whom he went on to win his second Formula 1 World Champion title 10 years later.