Thirty years on from his championship triumph, Damon Hill has expressed heartfelt gratitude to Williams for giving him one final drive of his title-winning car.
The iconic Williams FW18 was the machine Hill used to claim the 1996 Formula 1 world championship, winning eight of the 16 races that season.
Hill’s dominant campaign that year consigned his rookie team-mate Jacques Villeneuve to second place in the standings, with Michael Schumacher finishing third.
The occasion for the reunion was the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which concluded on Sunday after four days of motorsport celebration at the famous estate.
Hill tackled the iconic hill climb in the FW18, treating spectators to the thunderous sound of its V10 engine in full cry.
Following the run, Hill posted a video of his Goodwood appearance on social media, writing: “Massive thanks to Williams and the Goodwood Festival of Speed for one last blast of the old girl.”
The FW18 was a masterpiece of design, created by the legendary partnership of Adrian Newey and Patrick Head during one of Williams’ most dominant periods in Formula 1.
Notably, the FW18 was the last car Newey ever designed for Williams, as he was placed on gardening leave during the 1996 season ahead of a switch to McLaren.
Newey wasted little time making his mark at his new team, designing the McLaren MP4/13 that carried Mika Hakkinen to the 1998 world championship.
The roar of the FW18’s V10 engine serves as a timely reminder of a bygone era, as the sport looks to reclaim some of its historic engine noise in the years ahead.
This year marks three decades since Hill and the FW18 conquered the Formula 1 world, making the Goodwood appearance a particularly poignant milestone.
Of all the memorable runs staged at Goodwood during the festival, Hill’s reunion with the FW18 stood out as one of the most special moments of the entire event.