๐ 1973 Formula One
๐ฌ๐ง Graham Hill - Embassy Hill Racing
In 1973, two-time Formula One World Champion Graham Hill took the bold step of founding his own team: Embassy Racing With Graham Hill (commonly known as Embassy Hill). ย
Unhappy with the atmosphere at Brabham at the end of 1972, and struggling to find a competitive top-tier drive as he entered his mid-40s, Hill decided that becoming an owner-driver was the best way to keep his F1 career alive.ย
Hill utilized his massive celebrity status and charisma to land a lucrative title sponsorship deal with Imperial Tobacco's Embassy cigarette brand. The car featured a striking, iconic white livery with a red stripe
Rather than building his own car from scratch immediately, Hill bought a customer chassis package. He purchased a Shadow DN1 from the newly arrived American constructor, Shadow.
The car was powered by the ubiquitous and reliable Ford Cosworth DFV V8 engine, mated to a Hewland gearbox.ย
The team was tiny, consisting of about 20 mechanics and engineers operating out of a warehouse in Hanworth, West London, with early assembly handled by Maurice Gommโs workshops in Surrey.ย
The 1973 Season
Embassy Hill Racing was heavily funded by Imperial Tobacco's Embassy cigarette brand. Hill spent the early months of the year alternating between the workshop and boardrooms to secure the required ยฃ90,000 budget to build and run the team. Despite his experience, Hill struggled with the unreliability and handling of the customer Shadow DN1.
Unfortunately 1973 wasnโt the best of years for Hill. His highest finish was 9th place at the Belgian Grand Prix.
The year ended with zero Championship points and a car which was unfortunately off the pace.
This is a long clip but extremely fascinating ๐๐ป
I am sure the full clip might be on YouTube or somewhere else.
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@BBC
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