In this episode, Damon Hill, 1996 Formula 1 World Champion, opens up about his personal struggles with depression, feelings of inadequacy, loss of identity, and his ultimate path to healing following his remarkable racing career. Damon’s life was given a tragic jolt at 15 years of age when his father and legendary F1 driver Graham Hill died suddenly—the common string that ties together so much of his life and has forged so much of who he is to this day. We discuss Damon’s unique and remarkable racing career including his legendary battles with Michael Schumacher as well as Damon's firsthand account of what happened that tragic day on May 1st, 1994, when his teammate, Ayrton Senna, died at Imola. But this is not just about racing; rather it’s a human story that's cloaked in a racing one.

We discuss:

Graham Hill—Legendary F1 driver (and Damon’s dad), and the high risk of death for F1 drivers in the 1960s [7:40];
The impact of losing his father to a tragedy [21:45];
Damon’s path to auto racing [26:15];
33-year-old rookie—The unlikely beginning of Damon’s F1 career [40:00];
Ayrton Senna’s death—Damon’s firsthand account of what happened and why it happened [53:45];
An out of body experience while racing, and why Damon is uncomfortable with praise [1:24:45];
The controversy with Michael Schumacher when Damon barely missed winning the championship in 1994 [1:35:15];
Winning the World Drivers’ Championship in 1996 [1:42:00];
Damon’s final few years racing, and retirement [1:48:30];
Struggles after retirement—a “half-cooked” identity, confronting depression, & reorienting perspective [1:53:30];
What advice might Damon have given his 25-year-old self if he could talk to him now? [2:04:30];
Does the sport of Formula 1 become less interesting as it gets more and more safe for the drivers? [2:07:00];
Why Damon likes to read the obituaries of strangers [2:11:15];
The importance of being a good parent to your kids [2:15:30];
Living an examined life, unanswered questions, and the importance of knowing your identify [2:18:00]; and
More.

#86 - Damon Hill: Overcoming loss, achieving success, and finding one's identity

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