Damon Hill to reunite with iconic Williams FW18 at Goodwood FoS

F1 world champion Damon Hill is set to ignite the English summer with a moment steeped in history, as he prepares to reunite with his 1996 title-winning car at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Anticipation is already building for what promises to be one of the standout spectacles of the event. Hill will climb back into the cockpit of the very machine that carried him to glory: the legendary Williams FW18.

For fans, it’s more than nostalgia. It’s the revival of a defining era.

Thirty years on from his unforgettable championship triumph, Hill’s bond with the FW18 remains undiminished.

During that dominant 1996 campaign, he secured eight victories from 16 races, sealing the Drivers’ Championship and making history as the first son of a previous F1 world champion – namely Graham Hill – to also win the title.

Now, that legacy will return to life on the climb up Goodwood hill.

“I am delighted and very excited to be reunited with my championship-winning FW18 and Williams who made it all possible at this summer’s Festival of Speed,” said the Williams ambassador.

“To see the car return to Goodwood 30 years later, and to share that moment with the fans, is truly amazing.

“Thanks to the team at Grove for their work in getting the FW18 back on track. I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel!”

Hill’s words reflect the emotional weight of the occasion – one that merges memory, machinery, and milestone into a single, thrilling experience.

Bringing together the past, present and future.

For the modern Williams outfit, the moment carries equal significance. Led by Team Principal James Vowles, a Goodwood returnee, the team views the reunion as a celebration of identity as much as achievement.

“Goodwood is an incredibly special event that showcases the best of British motorsport, and it’s an honour to be taking on the hillclimb alongside Damon, Jamie and Luke this year,” said Vowles, referencing the additional presence at the event of Jamie Chadwick and Luke Browning.

“To see Damon reunited with the FW18 as we mark 30 years since his World Drivers’ Championship is hugely meaningful for the team and for motorsport fans.

“Moments like these bring together our past, present and future, and that’s something we’re proud to celebrate.”

That sense of continuity will be embodied throughout the event. Vowles himself is also set to drive the FW18, while Browning and Chadwick will showcase the team’s next generation alongside Hill’s celebrated past.

• Read also: Hill returns to Williams in ambassador role in title anniversary year

And then there is the car – a machine synonymous with dominance. Alongside Hill’s eight victories, teammate Jacques Villeneuve added four more wins that season, underlining the FW18’s status as one of Formula 1’s most formidable challengers.

When it roars back to life at Goodwood, it won’t simply be a run up the hill. It will be a living, breathing reminder of a golden era – returning, for a fleeting moment, to the present.

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