On This Day in 1996: Damon Hill makes F1 history

Damon Hill made Formula 1 history on this day 28 years ago underneath a sunny sky in Suzuka for the 1996 Japanese Grand Prix.

Driving his FW18 in the lead of all 52 laps, the British racer became the first driver in F1 history to follow in their parent's footsteps and become a champion child of another title-winning driver.

Two-time world champion Graham Hill won his second crown in 1968, and Damon joined his father as a World Drivers' Championship victor 28 years later.

Although Damon headed into the Japanese weekend sitting P1 in the standings, he wasn't guaranteed the title. Here's how that special Sunday played out.

Damon and his rookie teammate Jacques Villeneuve had enjoyed a fast and dominant Williams Racing car throughout the 1996 season that had them battling for the title against each other.

The advantage the FW18 had over all other cars was apparent from the opening round in Australia when Melbourne first tasted F1 action.

The two Williams Racing machines cruised to a one-two finish around Albert Park, with Damon crossing the line over a minute ahead of Eddie Irvine in the first non-Williams car.

That was the first of an incredible five one-two triumphs in 1996, and the duo brought another 11 victor's trophies back to Grove over the year.

Although Damon held the advantage throughout the season, he headed to Japan without a win since the German GP in July, and his championship lead diminished from 21 points to just nine.

If Jacques won the race, Damon would lose the title if he suffered a retirement or finished outside the points.

With the Canadian starting the race from pole position and riding the high of his fourth victory under his belt from the Portuguese GP one month earlier, Damon's title was far from certain.

Although Williams Racing were guaranteed to win both championships after already having a 100-point advantage over Benneton in P2, there was still a lot at stake.

A rainy few days in Mie Prefecture ahead of the race meant car setup for a sunny Sunday was tricky without much dry running before the race.

The wet weather had swept away any rubber from the previous days' action, too, and Jacques would start 8 metres ahead of his teammate in a Williams Racing front-row lockout without any grip advantage.

Any nerves inside either cockpit as the lights illuminated had to stay put, heightening the Suzuka tension, after David Coulthard stalled from P9 to trigger a second formation lap.

Perhaps history might've gone another way had the Scotsman got away cleanly, but the second start had Jacques falling backwards after a low-rev getaway off the line.

While one FW18 fell to P6, the other rocketed ahead in the lead as Damon executed a dream getaway to clinch a lead that he'd ultimately never give up.

Damon knew he could win the race and secure his title if he kept his car on the road without issue, so he began controlling the pace out in front.

Perhaps his speed management was a little too much for the chasing pack, as P2-placed Gerhard Berger attempted an early-race overtake into the Casio Chicane that might've changed F1 history.

The Austrian's move from far behind resulted in contact between the two racers and broke the Benetton's front wing.

Somehow, Damon, who wasn't even aware of the collision, didn't suffer a puncture.

Instead, he benefitted from a growing gap on P2 as Berger slowed the field down with his broken car.

Damon enjoyed his Sunday from that point on with clean air ahead for all the remaining laps, and the team executed faultless pit stops that secured his title.

Jacques, meanwhile, had 52 laps of fighting back after his struggling start had him swapping P1 for P6 before the first turn.

Berger was, of course, an easy pass to make after his front wing damage, but Jacques also stormed past Irvine to reach P4.

Setting fastest laps throughout the mid-race period, Jacques pushed forward to keep any chance of the title alive, but it would all be for nothing by Lap 37.

The French-Canadian's right-rear wheel broke off his car at Turn 1, leaving Jacques in the barriers and out of the race and the championship.

From the moment Jacques retired, Damon was the champion, and he drove the remaining laps – his final ones for Williams Racing – as the title-winning driver.

Although he calmly brought the car home to leave commentator Murray Walker with a lump in his throat, Damon could've pulled over to stop his race and celebrated his crown by crowd surfing had he wished.

He instead secured his 21st F1 victory ahead of long-time rival Michael Schumacher and brought Williams Racing back our 95th win.

His lifelong dream was complete, and the champagne celebrations were in full swing for the team that had helped Damon to victories since his first full-time season in 1993.

Although it was a cruel end to Jacques' race, he'd follow in Damon's footsteps one year later to become world champion, going one better than his legendary father, Gilles Villeneuve.

With Damon leaving Grove for the 1997 season, there was no better way to part ways, and the jubilation continued long after the chequered flag fell.

"He has been climbing the mountain for four years," said Frank Williams after the race. "He had got to the top and fully deserves to be there."