Sky Sports F1 issues statement on Damon Hill exit after lengthy talks over his future

Mirror Sport understands that, while Damon Hill’s sudden announcement on Friday was a shock to Formula 1 fans, Sky Sports bosses were aware that he could leave their line-up

Sky Sports bosses have reacted to the bombshell news that Damon Hill is leaving their Formula 1 punditry team.

The 1996 F1 champion announced suddenly on Friday morning that he would no longer be appearing on their broadcasts. His exit will bring to an end a lengthy stint as a rotating pundit for Sky which dates back to when the broadcaster first won the rights in the UK ahead of the 2012 season

Hill wrote on social media: “It’s been a fantastic 13 years with Sky Sports F1 but all good things come to an end. I will miss the most impressive bunch of professionals it has ever been my pleasure to have worked with. Looking forward to new challenges.”

It is currently unclear whose decision it was for the former F1 racer to depart from the punditry team. When Mirror Sport approached Sky Sports, the following comment from the broadcaster’s director of F1 was issued.

He said: “We thank Damon Hill for 13 incredible years with the Sky Sports F1 team, where he has been an integral part of our coverage, bringing unparalleled insight, expertise, and passion to our broadcasts. His unique perspective, shaped by his own legendary racing career, has entertained and excited fans worldwide. We wish him all the best in his next chapter.”

Mirror Sport understands that Hill’s sudden announcement was no surprise to Sky Sports chiefs. The former racer had been in discussions with the broadcaster for some time over his future, until the decision was reached to part ways.

Hill, 64, is one of Britain’s most successful racing stars and won the 1996 F1 title with Williams. He was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year that December, having won the same award two years earlier after he was infamously denied the championship two seasons earlier by a controversial move from rival Michael Schumacher.

He took 22 victories and stood on the podium 42 times in 115 starts before retiring in 1999. He is the son of Graham Hill who won two F1 championships in the 1960s before he was killed in a plane crash in November 1975, when Damon was just 15.

The announcement comes after Hill declared that he and former rival Schumacher “hated” each other when competing. “Michael and I actually got on well, but on the track we hated each other. It was and is not possible to be any other way if you want to become F1 champion,” he told Bild.

“There was no room for niceties. You have to exploit every weakness of your opponent and wear him down with it. Michael was a master of psychological games. He made me feel like I was useless and untalented. And he told the press that too. Because he won a lot of races back then, there was no reason not to believe him.”