Monza 2003, A Phil Hill Story - By Flood1

We arrived in Como Italy around midday on Thursday after a drive up from the Aosta Valley. We were headed to Monza. Our trip began with a couple of days in Nice and then an adventure through the mountains to Albertville and Grenoble. Next, we drove through the Mont Blanc tunnel into the Aosta Valley of Italy, a beautiful part of the world.

 

This trip started at sea level in Nice and wound its way through the Alps. Very impressive, but now we were ready for some racing. So we turn north at Milano and on to Como to catch up with a group of Americans touring with Grand Prix tours. We don’t travel with them, but we hook up with them for coach rides and social events associated with the race weekend.

 

We lodged at the Hotel Metropole Swisse, a lovely hotel located on the main piazza directly facing the Lake Como. We were expected to join our group on Friday morning for a look at free practice. As we had Thursday night free, we decided to dine at the hotel’s Restaurant Embarcadero.

 

I first noticed Phil Hill when a serveur near the door leaned toward another serveur and said something and nodded his head toward a short guy in his seventies wearing a blue shirt and khaki slacks. It was Phil Hill, and he was alone. I looked Dorri in the eye and nodded his direction. She took a look and said, “Who is that.” 

 

We had arrived a little early and the staff was mostly idle, but each of them turned and watched Phil move across the room and take his seat. I’ll say this much about Northern Italians, they know a thing or two about Ferrari’s racing history.

 

“Phil Hill,” I said, and she turned and looked at him for a few seconds and said, “And so it is.” I am constantly looking for looky-likes and pointing them out, but seldom do I do it and it’s the real deal.

 

Of course this started a Phil Hill conversation between us that lasted until after-dinner drinks were served. Phil became WDC for Ferrari in 1961 at Monza. This was very difficult victory for Hill because he won the championship title after his teammate, the points leader, Wolfgang Von Tripps, was killed earlier in the race. Von Tripps needed third place points to clinch the championship. He collided with Clark’s Lotus, crashed, was ejected from the car and killed. His car also claimed the life of more than a dozen spectators as it spun out of control.

 

At dinner, Phil had been joined by a few people at his table and their evening was winding down as was ours. We stopped off, introduced ourselves, and told him that we had met his daughter, Vanessa, at Le Mans in 2000. He was quite proud of her. A pleasant short conversation followed, mostly small talk, and then off we went for a walk on the Lake’s perimeter.

 

It’s now Friday morning and we’re up for breakfast early. Then we board the coach for a ride to the circuit. Just as the coach is preparing to leave, Phil Hill boards the bus. Perfect, there is an empty seat directly in front of me. The other occupant on that row is a sixtyish woman who is traveling alone. Phil sees us and says good morning, nice to see you again, and sat down. I enjoyed the looks I got from the people around us as they realized who was on board.

 

The lady next to Phil, as revealed by their conversation, was from Marseille, France and had driven up to Como to attend the race. She had been a racing fan since a young girl, and attended Monza every year no matter what. She spoke English in that way that only a French woman can speak, very lovely. Their conversation continued.....

 

Phil said, "Every year, you come to Monza?"

 

"Yes,” she replied.

 

“When was your first Grand Prix,” he said.

 

“Monza 1961.”

 

He leaned forward in his seat, slowly turned, and looked at her. He said, “I won that race.” She said that she knew that and that she knew he’d won the championship as well. There was a long quiet pause as they considered what they had just learned. They had a lively conversation. Fascinating, two people who had shared a little piece of F1 history. The tragedy at Monza was not discussed except for a single comment that was followed by a pair of somber and knowing looks passed between them.

 

Later in the weekend we saw her in the Ferrari paddock with Phil. We were sitting even with the first start box and across from the Ferrari garage. We think it was her. If so, Phil had managed to secure her visit to the team, a beautiful gesture from a great man.

 

 

That's me by the rail wih the long grey hair and the black shirt. Phil Hill is in the blue blazer and the kaki slacks. We were on a boat trip to a castello on the lake where we had dinner and met Alex Wurz and others from Team McLaren. Matt Bishop from F1 Mag hosted an auction.