(Motorsport-Total.com) – Damon Hill returns to the Williams team and takes on the role of official ambassador for the 2026 Formula 1 season. The 65-year-old follows Jenson Button, who moved to Aston Martin just a few weeks ago.
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Hill’s return coincides with the 30th anniversary of his world championship title, which he won in 1996 with the British team. Hill spent half of his eight-year Formula 1 career at Williams and celebrated 21 of his 22 Grand Prix victories there.
Hill will be part of a three-person ambassador team, which also includes his former teammate and 1997 world champion, Jacques Villeneuve, as well as three-time W Series overall winner Jamie Chadwick.
Hill is delighted: “A real privilege”
“Williams is a truly special place for me and some of the most defining moments of my career took place here,” says Hill, who has worked as a commentator for Sky Sports in recent years and left the broadcaster at the end of 2025.
“I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of this sport and to have achieved what I have achieved. Returning as an ambassador is a real privilege. It is an opportunity to celebrate the team’s history and support its legacy as well as its future.”
All Williams Formula 1 cars since 1974
Hill thus replaces his former colleague Button, who announced in early February that he had left Williams to become an ambassador for Aston Martin on a multi-year basis.
The Briton had started his Formula 1 career at Williams in 2000 and worked for the Grove-based team for four seasons before now supporting “media, partner and commercial activities” at Aston Martin.
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Villeneuve and Chadwick also involved
Hill’s return comes a few weeks before the 2026 season opener at the Australian Grand Prix (March 6 to 8), which brings new regulation changes. Williams plans to fight for points in the midfield again this season.
Team principal James Vowles is enthusiastic about Hill’s return: “It is an honor to welcome Damon back to Williams. Few people represent this team like he does. Damon played a defining role in one of the most successful eras of our history, became world champion with Williams and left a legacy that continues to inspire the team today.”
Furthermore, Vowles praises the continuity of the ambassador team: “We are also pleased that Jamie Chadwick and Jacques Villeneuve will continue to serve as ambassadors for us.”
“Together they form an impressive team that reflects everything Williams stands for: our history, our commitment to nurturing talent, and our ambition to compete at the highest level again. Having personalities like them as representatives of Williams fills us with great pride.”
While Hill is taking on the ambassador role for the first time this season, Villeneuve has been with the team since 2025, and Chadwick started in 2024. The latter will also mentor the latest F1 Academy recruit, Jade Jacquet.
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