John Miles (auto racer)

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John Miles
Formula One Career
Nationality	British
Active years	1969- 1976
Team(s)	Lotus
Grands Prix	15
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podium finishes	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First Grand Prix	1969 French Grand Prix
First win	n/a
Last win	n/a
Last Grand Prix	1970 Italian Grand Prix

John Miles (b. June 14, 1943) is a former Formula One driver from England. He participated in 15 Grands Prix, debuting on July 6, 1969. He scored a total of 2 championship points. He drove for Team Lotus where he was the official test driver of the Lotus 63 4-wheel drive F1 car.

Promoted to number 2 Lotus F1 driver behind Jochen Rindt for the 1970 Formula One season, he was thoroughly overshadowed by his team leader who earned the F1 World Championship that year. Matters came to a head at the Italian GP. Lotus cars founder and Team Lotus principal Colin Chapman ordered Miles to follow Rindt in running a new Lotus 72 without front and rear wings in order to take advantage of the Monza circuit's fast, low-downforce corners. Miles reluctantly complied but was distressed by the wingless 72's handling on the straights. His teammate Rindt was killed when one of the brakes on his new Type 72 failed and his car veered off the track, submarining the steel barrier that was placed too high for the revolutionary wedge design of the 72. Rindt, who had only recently acquiesced to wearing a simple lap belt, slid underneath and had his throat cut by the belt buckle. That was too much for Miles, who was widely regarded as too cerebral and sensitive to fit Chapman's idea of a race driver, and he left the team. A qualified mechanical engineer, Miles later made a name for himself working for Lotus's road car division.

John Miles is the son of the actor Bernard Miles.

[edit] Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	Team	WDC	Points
1969	Lotus	RSA	ESP	MON	NED	FRA Ret	GBR 10	GER	ITA Ret	CAN Ret	USA	MEX Ret			Lotus	-	0
1970	Lotus	RSA 5	ESP DNQ	MON DNQ	BEL Ret	NED 7	FRA 8	GBR Ret	GER Ret	AUT Ret	ITA DNS	CAN	USA	MEX	Lotus	19th	2