Roberto Mieres (1924–2012)

Former Maserati Grand Prix driver Roberto Mieres has died at the age of 87. Mieres, who started 17 World Championship Grands Prix during the early 1950s, passed away in Uruguay, where he had lived for a number of years.
Born in Argentina in 1924, Mieres began racing at the age of 23, winning first time out in an MG at a makeshift event organized by his friends at a local speedway. After enjoying good success racing in his homeland, he made an appearance in a pre-war Alfa Romeo Grand Prix car at Rosario in 1950 where he gained the attention of Giuseppe Farina and Alberto Ascari, both of whom advised him to further his career in Europe.
Through his friend Harry Schell he became reserve driver for the Gordini Grand Prix team in 1953 and, replacing the injured Jean Behra, made his World Championship debut at the Dutch Grand Prix. He scored points in seven of the eight Grands Prix he finished for Gordini, Maserati and in his own machinery, taking a career-best 4th on three separate occasions.
The 1954 campaign was his best, with 4th-place finishes in Switzerland and Spain earning him 6th place in the final standings. After racing for Maserati at Le Mans in 1955, he returned to South America at the end of the season and thereafter raced mostly in sportscars for the rest of his career.
A true sportsman, upon winding down his driving career Mieres turned his attention to sailing and subsequently represented Argentina at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. To his family and friends, Vintage Racecar offers our sincerest condolences.