When he was unveiled on this day in 1994 as Ayrton Senna's teammate at Williams-Renault, Damon Hill openly acknowledged the colossal challenge that lied ahead.
The Briton admitted he had “mixed emotions about driving alongside somebody who is as forceful and motivated as Ayrton … but I am not easily demoralised or crushed".
While Senna typically inked one-year agreements, this time he agreed to a two-year contract worth Williams, reportedly valued at £13 million annually.
Little did anyone know that Williams’ promising campaign would descend into tragedy as early as the third race, with Senna’s death at Imola.
Hill would valiantly pick up his shattered team and battle arch-rival Michael Schumacher down to the wire in Australia, only for his title bid to be thwarted by a desperate and wicked move by the German.
But that's a story for another day.
