Stalwart Tyrrell chief mechanic Roger Hill

For a rustic with a inhabitants of simply 5 million folks, the quantity of New Zealander's who've influenced motor racing is so excessive, it nearly appears like working in motor racing is the default career for anybody hailing from the island nation within the Pacific Ocean.

At the moment, each the Method 1 drivers' world championship and constructors' world championship are heading to a workforce based by a Kiwi, Bruce McLaren, and the record of New Zealanders who adopted McLaren is an extended and profitable one; to select just some names: Phil Kerr and Howden Ganley (each of whom have been at McLaren), Invoice Stone at March, Allan McCall who went on to discovered the Tui racing concern, and Max Rutherford and John Bullock who labored with Ken Tyrrell.

When speaking about mechanics hailing from New Zealand, one of the revered and most profitable of all of them was Roger Hill, who was Tyrrell's chief mechanic for over 20 years, together with throughout all three of Jackie Stewart's championships. Hill died on 19 July 2025, aged 84.

Born on 11 November 1940 in New Plymouth, Roger began work in his homeland as a fitter, welder and engine tuner, and likewise constructed scramble bike frames and labored in a foundry. In 1965, he was one in every of a bunch of six fans (together with the aforementioned Rutherford and Bullock) who got here to England for a ‘working vacation' of scrambling and motocross and ended up staying in England for the remainder of his life.

“Getting down to go to the opposite facet of the world was most likely a much bigger expertise than I had actually given any critical thought to, however it appeared a good suggestion on the time,” mentioned Roger.

Whereas in England, he initially discovered work with a well-known speedway engine tuner, Mike Erskine, then bought a job at Charles Lucas's Method 3 workforce getting ready automobiles for Piers Braveness and Roy Pike in addition to Lucas himself. In the end Rutherford launched Roger to Ken Tyrrell.

As Roger recalled, the job interview with Ken was fairly easy: “I went to see him, shook arms and I had a job. I stayed in that job, successfully, till 1998. I completely cherished it.”

Though he remained at Tyrrell till the very finish, he truly got here very near becoming a member of Rutherford again in New Zealand. In 1969, like Rutherford who he changed as chief mechanic, he was uninterested in the lengthy hours and arduous journeys and was going to surrender racing to return to New Zealand on the finish of 1970: “For a few years, you will have enjoyable and it's gratifying. However you then start to get uninterested in all of it. I'll go on for yet one more 12 months after which do one thing else. By then, I'll have had sufficient of it.”

Removed from leaving Tyrrell, Hill was such an asset to the workforce that he grew to become its long-time chief mechanic, ceasing that position solely in 1990 when a shake-up orchestrated by Joan Villadelprat led to Chris White changing him. Nonetheless, he remained at Ockham in a extra workshop-based place, though he continued to attend races, till the workforce completed in 1998.

Hill's tenure as chief mechanic included all three of Stewart's F1 world championships, all 23 of Tyrrell's world championship victories, the 1971 F1 world constructors' title and spanned a spread of each various designs (the P34 and the ‘high-nose' 019) and drivers from Johnny Servoz-Gavin to Jean Alesi.

Throughout this time, Hill gained a fame for fixing the seemingly unsolvable, for his adaptability, calmness and unflappability, full dedication, unimaginable work ethic and meticulous strategy, who not solely had the respect of his fellow mechanics however of the drivers too, who had full confidence that they have been driving a secure and dependable automobile.

Publish-Tyrrell, he constructed promotional replicas of F1 automobiles for a corporation that labored with Ferrari and Toyota.

Sadly, a few of his final years have been troublesome. His beloved spouse, Angela, to whom he was married for over 45 years, died in 2015. He developed dementia just a few years later and ultimately needed to transfer to a care house. Nevertheless, just about till his dying day, he remained lively and misplaced none of his sparkle and enthusiasm for all times, at all times having fun with visits from his former colleagues.

Jo Ramirez, who labored at Tyrrell with Hill, mentioned: “He was probably the most meticulous and inventive mechanic I've ever come throughout and a pleasure to work with. Though I had numerous expertise, I nonetheless discovered lots from him. Doubtless, he was among the finest race mechanics of all time, in addition to a beautiful particular person.”

Danny Sullivan recalled: “Roger Hill was so quiet that when he spoke it meant lots. He was very revered and really humorous. His few phrases have been at all times proper to the purpose and mentioned lots.

“The very best instance of that was once I bought a name from Ken to do a check at Rio to try to get hold of the seat for the Method 1 drive in 1983. There have been different drivers there, they seemed very skilled, and I felt I must be the identical. I sat within the automobile and began fiddling round with all the pieces like them. Roger Hill leant into the cockpit and mentioned, ‘Danny, simply drive the bloody automobile!' I ended up quicker than the others. I used to be very, very keen on Roger.”

The final phrase goes to a person whose respect of Roger was so nice that, even in his mid-80s, flew straight from Switzerland to attend Hill's funeral on 26 August.

Sir Jackie Stewart, who additionally established the Race Against Dementia charity, mentioned: “Roger Hill was one of many biggest mechanics the game has ever identified. He was higher at his job than I used to be at mine.”