Hill was born in Hampstead, London, and studied engineering before completing national service in the Royal Navy, where he served as an Engine Room Artificer. He did not pass his driving test until age 24. In 1954 he saw an advertisement for five-shilling laps at Brands Hatch and was immediately drawn to racing. He joined Lotus as a mechanic and talked his way into the cockpit, making his Formula One debut at the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix.
Before racing, Hill spent two serious years as a competitive rower at London Rowing Club from 1952 to 1954, contesting twenty finals and stroking the crew in the prestigious Grand Challenge Cup at Henley. He later adopted London Rowing Club's dark blue and white colours for his racing helmet — a design his son Damon and grandson Josh subsequently used with the club's permission.
Hill moved to BRM in 1960, scoring his maiden podium at the Dutch Grand Prix. BRM's competitive P57 chassis in 1962 transformed his results: Hill won the Dutch Grand Prix, took three further victories, and claimed his first World Drivers' Championship, beating career rival Jim Clark and Bruce McLaren. He finished runner-up to Clark in 1963, and in 1964 lost the title by a single point to John Surtees.
In 1967, Hill returned to Lotus to partner Clark and help develop the new Lotus 49 around the Ford-Cosworth DFV engine. When Clark was killed in April 1968, Hill led the team through a difficult season and won his second championship at the final race, a result he dedicated to Clark. He also became a five-time Monaco Grand Prix winner in 1969.
Later that year, at the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, Hill suffered a serious crash that broke both his legs. He returned to racing the following season but never recaptured his championship-level form. After spells with Brabham, Hill founded his own team, Embassy Hill, in 1973 with sponsorship from Imperial Tobacco, and retired from driving after the 1975 Monaco Grand Prix to focus on team management.
Hill is the sole driver to have won motorsport's three most prestigious events: the Formula One World Championship (1962, 1968), the Indianapolis 500 (1966, in a Lola-Ford at his first attempt — the first rookie winner since 1927), and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1972, partnering Henri Pescarolo in a Matra-Simca). No other driver has matched this achievement. As of 2026, Hill remains the only person to have completed the Triple Crown under either of the two commonly cited definitions.
Hill was known as much for his meticulous preparation as for his results. He kept detailed records of car settings and worked long hours with mechanics. He was equally celebrated for his public persona — witty, charming, and self-deprecating — becoming a frequent television guest and television personality in Britain. He wrote a candid autobiography, Life at the Limit, during his recovery from the 1969 leg injuries. A second autobiography, Graham, was published posthumously in 1976.
His 176 Grand Prix starts over 18 seasons remained a record in the sport for over a decade, until Jacques Laffite equalled the figure.
On 29 November 1975, Hill piloted a Piper PA-23 Aztec twin-engine aircraft back from a test session at Paul Ricard in France. Approaching Elstree Airfield in thick fog that night, the aircraft crashed near Arkley in north London, killing all six on board: Hill, manager Ray Brimble, mechanics Tony Alcock and Terry Richards, designer Andy Smallman, and Hill's protege and driver Tony Brise. An investigation found Hill's American FAA pilot certification had expired, as had his instrument rating and UK IMC rating. Pilot error in poor conditions was deemed the most probable cause. Hill was 46.
Hill's son Damon went on to win the Formula One World Championship in 1996, making them the first father-and-son world champions in the sport's history. Graham Hill Bend at Brands Hatch and roads near Silverstone and Bourne are named in his honour. Hill was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990.