After the 1966 Le Mans, Graham Hill took a break from the 24-hour race for a few years but he did return to the city to compete in the Grand Prix de France in 1967 on the Bugatti track. He took his second pole position at the wheel of the Lotus but a transmission issue forced him to withdraw in the thirteenth lap. The race produced a one-two finish for the Brabham team with Jack Brabham himself at the wheel of the winning car, ahead of Dennis Hulme, who went on to become world champion that year. Jackie Stewart, Hill’s teammate at the 1965 Le Mans 24 Hours, was third in a BRM. A comprehensive exhibition on the 1967 Grand Prix is currently on show at the 24 Hours Museum.

In 1968, Hill became Formula One champion for the second time with Lotus. That same year and again in 1969 he triumphed at the Grand Prix de Monaco, which he won an impressive five times during his career, a record only broken by Ayrton Senna in 1993.

In 1972, Hill joined Matra for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, paired with the illustrious Henri Pescarolo. "Graham was a true legend”, says the four-time winner of the revered race. Given his age [43], I didn’t think he would be taking any risks. But I soon realised that this was no ordinary driver. As it turned out, the way he drove in the night rain was decisive in the win.

Towards the end of the race, the weather made all the difference in the battle between sister cars. Rain set in once more as Hill began his stint just before 11am on the Sunday. He decided on intermediate tyres. Ganley, in the other Matra, opted for slicks. Hill took the lead when the Australian pitted to fit intermediates. Ganley and Cevert’s hopes of winning were completely quashed when they were hit by another car later in the morning. However, they fought back to end the race with a second-place flourish.

The Le Mans win took Hill to new heights. Not only had he achieved the Monaco-Indianapolis-Le Mans triple crown (won in that order), he could also boast the world champion title in two disciplines. When he retired from driving in 1975 to concentrate on managing his Formula One team he held the record for the number of Grands Prix contested - 176 in 18 seasons, but on 29 November 1975 Hill lost his life in an aeroplane crash.

Yet the Hill legend continued. Hill’s son Damon raced at Le Mans in 1989 and was World Champion 1996. In 2013, Damon’s son Joshua (aged 22) took the wheel of a Matra in a support race for the 90th anniversary 24 Hours of Le Mans, but terminated his promising racing career a month later.

In the last part of the trilogy we take a look at the drivers who have won two of the three Triple Crown races. To date, Hill is the only driver to have claimed the elusive prize.

 

Graham Hill at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Graham Hill and the Triple Crown (1) - A winless nine-year stretch at the 24 Hours

Photo (ACO archives): Graham Hill’s steel on a rain-soaked circuit played a decisive part in clinching Matra’s first Le Mans win in 1972. Forty-five years later, the driver with nerves of steel remains the only one to have claimed the Triple Crown.