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Damon Hill back behind the wheel

ESPN Staff
October 21, 2012 « I'm my own worst enemy - Grosjean | Frijns earns Red Bull test alongside da Costa »
Damon Hill retired from Formula One racing in 1999 © Sutton Images
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Damon Hill re-acquainted himself to life as a Formula One driver as he got behind the wheel of an F1 car for the first time since 1999.

Hill, who won the world drivers' title with Williams in 1996, drove Red Bull's 2010 title winning RB6 at Barcelona on Sunday before watching his son Josh racing in the World Series by Renault.

"I spoke to Renault and said I'd be coming down because Josh was racing, and it kind of snowballed from there and I've ended up driving the Red Bull," Hill told Autosport . "You can't really say no to that, can you? So a big thanks to Renault and Red Bull."

Hill last drove a Formula One car in anger in 1999 when he raced in the Japanese Grand Prix for Jordan.

"Things like the hand clutch were already on the Jordan by then. The cars have changed subtly, but fundamentally they are the same. It's not a competition, there's no challenge, and I'm not being tested. It's purely for my own experience and it's fun.

"It's great that they do this. They get a huge crown of people - a large proportion of which probably don't follow our sport that closely - and they are introduced to our sport. To have a Red Bull doing a few laps sells the whole sport to the fans. For them to see one car do a few laps - with an old fart in it - hopefully they will be inspired to follow the sport more widely."

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