Damon Hill's name remains firmly etched in the annals of Formula 1 history, nearly three decades after his championship triumph in 1996.
The British racing legend, now 64, delivered a spectacular season for Williams that year, unseating Michael Schumacher's Benetton with eight race victories and two second-place finishes.
Their rivalry would become one of the sport's most compelling narratives of the 1990s.
Yet Hill's path to glory might have begun two years earlier, were it not for one of F1's most controversial incidents involving the German driver.
Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill had one of the biggest sporting rivalries during the 1990s
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The 1994 Australian Grand Prix would prove to be a defining moment in their storied rivalry.
Heading into the 1994 Australian Grand Prix, Hill trailed Schumacher by just a single point in the championship standings.
Despite Hill's teammate Nigel Mansell securing pole position, Schumacher snatched the lead at the first corner.
The race proceeded without incident until lap 36, when Schumacher lost control at East Terrace corner, briefly making contact with the wall.
Hill, spotting an opportunity, attempted to overtake on the inside at the next corner.
Schumacher held his line firmly, resulting in Hill's left tyre colliding with the German's car.
The impact sent Schumacher spinning towards the barriers.
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Hill returned to the pits only to discover his Williams had suffered irreparable suspension damage.
With both drivers forced to retire, Schumacher claimed his first world title by virtue of his one-point advantage in the standings.
Hill recently revealed on the High Performance podcast that he confronted Schumacher the day after the incident.
"I did the next day. He was having breakfast and I went up to him. I said, 'Well done, world champion,'" Hill recounted.
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Damon Hill recounted confronting Michael Schumacher in 1994
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"And he sort of looked at me rather sheepishly and said thanks, but I never spoke to him after that."
Their relationship deteriorated further in the following season.
"We had our moments the following year, '95, it was an absolute disaster. I basically got over excited a few times and we had more contretemps," Hill admitted.
Despite their on-track animosity, Hill has maintained that their relationship away from racing was cordial.
"Michael and I actually got on well, but on the track we hated each other," Hill told German publication BILD.
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"It was and is not possible to be any other way if you want to become Formula 1 world champion. There was no room for niceties."
Hill's comments reveal Schumacher's psychological prowess as a competitor.
"Michael was a master of psychological games. He made me feel like I was useless and untalented. And he told the press that too."
The German's dominance lent credibility to his mind games.
"Because he won a lot of races back then, there was no reason not to believe him."
