Ahead of launching the Grove collection with the Atlassian Williams F1 Team, we sat down with campaign face and former driver Damon Hill, reflecting on motorsports' 1990s heyday, post-war art, travel and racing superstitions.
Why do you think people are so drawn to that era?
We’re living in extraordinary times now, so people look back to a period that felt a little simpler. We had mobile phones, but the world was very different, and travel was different too. Maybe we were a bit more innocent or free. I used to get asked to sit with the pilot on flights, for example, and you simply can’t do that now. There was a different sort of freedom around then.
What was your favourite race?
A couple of circuits are magical. Monza has an incredibly magical feeling. It’s steeped in history and atmosphere. Monaco is another. Somewhere people visit simply to say they have been there. Then there is the British Grand Prix. Every year it is a huge opportunity for the masses of people in this country who support Formula 1 racing to see the cars. To smell them, hear them and, if they are lucky, touch them.
Did you have any superstitions before a race?
I never had any clothing superstitions, but I did always get into the car from the right-hand side. At some point I thought, “This is becoming a superstition because I never get in from the other side”, so I deliberately got in from the left, did a few laps, came back in and proved to myself that it was nonsense. But I never did it again. For some bizarre reason, getting in from the left-hand side just did not feel right.
When developing this collection, we drew heavily on Williams’ heritage. What does that heritage mean to you?
It’s a great story. It’s the story of two guys, Sir Frank Williams and Sir Patrick Head, who started with a dream and had chemistry. Frank fought with everything he had to keep the team alive through really difficult times. They got to the top, and once they got there, they stayed. It’s a story born out of the pioneers Frank and Patrick, and that’s still there. That history is commemorated through the heritage and hopefully gives the team impetus today.
Grove Weekender
How do you see Williams within the wider history of British motorsport?
I have said before that Frank was a kind of British Enzo. What Enzo was to Italy, Frank was to British teams. There are other teams based in Britain, like McLaren and Red Bull, successful ones, but Williams is quintessentially British. Formula 1 is international now, and becoming more international, but you cannot take away the success of those earlier eras. The British have left their mark on the sport, and hopefully that continues.
Outside of racing, is there a particular city or country that you love travelling to?
Italy. Every time I go there, there is just something about it. It’s comfortable with its own history and has evolved naturally over time while maintaining that dynamic between past and future. I love travelling in Europe generally.
What is Damon like in Italy? Is it complete dolce vita relaxation? Are you good at switching off?
I’m an active person. I like cycling, so Italy works well for that, and I also like surfing. There are places in Italy where you can get waves, although they are not as consistent as in the Pacific or Indian Oceans. That is part of travel: you get the opportunity to go to these places and get a buzz from being in a different country. I also love Mexico City. The first time we went, we loved it and thought it was really fun. Austin is fun as well, but differently, and Montreal is too.
The Grove collection is limited edition and individually numbered. Do you have anything you personally keep or think of as a collector’s piece?
I have one or two pieces of art that are limited-edition lithographs and things like that. Henry Moore and Henri Matisse. I have some limited-edition guitars as well.
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