Formula 1's FORGOTTEN American World Champion

Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys

Mar 19, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 4

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Episode description

In 1961, Formula 1 crowned its first-ever American World Driver Champion. Californian Phil Hill — a driver whose ulcer-ridden body should have prevented him from racing at the top levels of motorsport — never quite seemed like the prototypical race car driver. But if an American earned the highest honor in motorsport within the first 11 years of F1's existence, why don't we better remember and celebrate Phil Hill?

The answer lies in the title-deciding 1961 Monza Grand Prix, a tragic, deadly race that immediately overshadowed Hill's greatest success.

This is the first of a two-part series focusing on the tragedies of F1's American World Champions.

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Episode Bibliography:

The Limit: Life and Death on the 1961 Grand Prix Circuit by Michael Cannon

Phil Hill: A Driving Life by Phil Hill

Monza: A Glorious History by Paolo Montagna

The American Legacy in Formula 1

https://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Carrera_Panamericana-1952-11-23.html