John Miles (auto racer)
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| Born | 14 June 1943 |
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| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality | British |
| Active years | 1969–1970 |
| Teams | Lotus |
| Entries | 15 (12 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 2 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1969 French Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1970 Italian Grand Prix |
The Hon. John Miles (born 14 June 1943 in London) is a British former racing driver from England. He participated in 15 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, making his debut on 6 July 1969, in the Lotus 63 4-wheel drive F1 car for which he was the official Team Lotus test driver. He scored a total of 2 championship points with a fifth place in the 1970 South African Grand Prix.
In 1963/64, John Jeremy Miles (known as John "Diva" Miles and not to be confused with John "Turner" Miles) began his serious racing career and became the overall champion in the Redex Sports car Championship driving a front engined Diva GT. A second season in the Diva this time supported by John Willment was also successful. He then went to win the 1966 Autosport Championship in the Willment sponsored Lotus Elan 26R with 15 outright wins from 17 races. This particular Elan 26R car was never beaten until the advent of the mid engined competitors such as the Chevron. At Boxing Day Brands 1966 he debuted the new Lotus 47GT and subsequently raced the works F3 Lotus 41 and long chassis 41X and GT 47 during 1967 and 1968 for the works team – winning four international F3 events in 1968.
In 1969, Miles had to develop the Lotus 63 4WD car while World Champion Graham Hill and Jochen Rindt refused to drive this design, considering it a death trap. In five GPs, Miles finished only once, in 10th place. In between, the car was given twice to Mario Andretti, but he did not finish either. John Miles did qualify mid-grid for the Canadian GP at Mosport, where the difficult combination of fast sweeping bends suited the 4 wheel drive Lotus 63, which was a 'disaster' on twisty tracks.
After Graham Hill had broken his legs in late 1969, he did not return to Team Lotus, driving Lotus cars for the Rob Walker Racing Team instead. Miles was promoted to number two Lotus F1 driver behind Jochen Rindt for the 1970 Formula One season. In the 1970 South African Grand Prix, where a total of five Lotus cars were entered, he finished fifth in a Lotus 49 with Hill behind him. Miles had driven most of the race with petrol leaking over him, but Colin Chapman expressed dissatisfaction he had not taken Beltoise for fourth. For the Spanish GP, the new Lotus 72 was entered, but Miles failed to qualify for the race in which Rindt had to retire early. Due to the problems with the 72, the updated Lotus 49C was used in Monaco, with Miles driving a few practice laps in the 72, and failing to qualify in the 49C. Graham Hill was slower in practice, but had a guaranteed grid place as a past World Champion, and was allocated Miles' 49C for the race, which was won by Rindt. In Belgium, Miles raced the 72, while Rindt relied on the old 49C, and both had to retire. In Zandvoort, the 72 finally proved to be competitive, with Rindt qualifying on pole and winning, while Miles qualified and finished seventh in the race, losing a points finish after John Surtees passed him after a long duel. Regazzoni and Piers Courage passed Miles in the opening laps, although Courage, notorious for overdriving, was killed a few laps later. In France, Rindt won again in the 72 despite an injury, while Miles finished outside the points once again, although on the same lap as his team leader.
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