JOHN MILES 14 June 1948-8 April 2018

Considerable success as a driver was only a small part of Miles’ life. Having hung up his helmet at the age of 30, he built engines for the likes of Gordon Spice, joined the road-test team at Autocar, and developed cars for Lotus and Aston Martin. He even set up a record label specialising in modern jazz.

Miles first came to prominence in a Willment-prepared Diva, and further success in an Elan put him on Colin Chapman’s radar. In 1967, Miles joined Lotus to race the 47 in sports cars and the 41 in Formula Three, and was later promoted to Formula One – initially as a third driver alongside Graham Hill and Jochen Rindt, then as number two to Rindt for 1970.

His relationship with Chapman was uneasy – whereas Hill or Rindt had the clout to say they wouldn’t drive a particular car, Miles was left to struggle with the “undriveable” 4WD 63 or the troublesome early 72. He was replaced by Reine Wisell after the 1970 Italian GP, but won the following year’s British Sports Car Championship and the ’72 Paul Ricard 6 Hours. James Page