The early part of Hill's career emphasized road racing and a succession of competitive drives in privately-owned Jaguars and Ferraris brought him to the attention of the Ferrari factory team. Probably more than any other driver, Hill is associated with the Ferrari team and drove for "The Old Man" in a variety of endurance, road and eventually, Formula One contests. Here, we take a look at a early successes in international competition.

Venezuela 1957. Hill waits to take to the course while Ferrari team Manager Tavoni (with glasses facing camera) and co-driver Peter Collins are given directions by an official. Hill and Collins won this crash and injury-filled race in the Ferrari 335 S. Tom Burnside photo.

Venezuela 1957

The season ending race in Caracas would determine Manufacturers'' Championship for sports cars and Ferrari and Maserati came to South America embattled in the quest for the title.

Both teams had assembled an impressive roster of men and machines for the race. Maserati came to the line with Maston Gregory, Stirling Moss, Harry Schell and Jean Behra driving a complement of 3, 4.5 and 4.7 liter cars. Ferrari's lineup included Hill, Peter Collins, Mike Hawthorn, Luigi Musso, Olivier Gendebien and Maurice Trintignant equipped with 4.1 liter cars. Hill and Collins drove the 335 S.

The 6.1 mile street circuit was to prove both fast and dangerous, with the straights supporting speeds up to 175 MPH. Hill considered the course to be "...ridiculous, like some kind of surrealist nightmare." The organizers had posted flagmen to mark the various turns, but they were posted so that the drivers had great difficultly in picking them out when at speed. It proved easy to miss a turn and Hill found himself blasting down a main thoroughfare at 100 mph dodging commuter traffic when he lost sight of one of the flagmen in practice.

The race itself was marred with crashes and injuries that decimated the Maserati team. Moss, Schell and Behra all went out due to crashes or the most fearsome hazard - fire. Hill and Collins were victorious and clinched the championship for Ferrari. Maserati, with its team battered by the events in Caracas, later withdrew from sports car competition.

Sebring 12 Hours, 1958. Hill in the Ferrari 250 TR with co-driver Peter Collins, won the race a full lap ahead of their nearest competitor. Tom Burnside photo.
Richie Ginther and Phil Hill at Sebring for the Grand Prix of the United States in December, 1959. The pair drove together in the Carrera Panamericana road race. Tom Burnside photo.

Three Times a Winner

Hill developed his reputation as an endurance driver in part by winning the Sebring 12 Hours race three times. One of the keys to his success at this contest and at Le Mans was an innate sensitivity to what the car was doing. Where other drivers would simply pound their cars into the pavement, Hill was able to detect the subtle signs that something was breaking down and then modify his driving style to get everything possible out of the machine and yet not break it in doing so. Hill won at Sebring in 1958, 1969 and 1961.

Hill with Ginther, Paul O'Shea and Ricardo Rodriguez in the Ferrari garage after his victory in the 1959 Sebring 12 Hours. Tom Burnside photo.