Óscar González

Óscar Mario 'Bocha' González Alonso (10 November 1923 - 5 November 2006): Uruguayan racing driver from Montevideo who participated in one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, sharing a drive with compatriot Alberto Uría at the 1956 Argentine Grand Prix where they finished sixth, scoring no championship points but representing Uruguay in Formula One during an era when South American drivers were making their mark in the sport. Born in Montevideo, Uruguay's capital and largest city, González was nicknamed 'Bocha,' a common Argentine and Uruguayan nickname derived from the Italian game of bocce. He began racing in Uruguayan and Argentine national motorsport during the late 1940s and early 1950s, competing in various categories and establishing friendships with leading South American drivers including Argentine legends José Froilán González and five-time World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio, both of whom would encourage and support González's racing ambitions.

Through these connections and his demonstrated ability in South American racing, González received his Formula One opportunity at the 1956 Argentine Grand Prix at the Autódromo de Buenos Aires on 22 January 1956, the opening round of the 1956 World Championship. González joined his Uruguayan compatriot Alberto Uría, who had secured a privateer Maserati entry for the race. The plan was for Uría and González to share the drive, a common practice in the 1950s when races often lasted 2-3 hours and drivers would sometimes swap seats during pit stops to share the physical demands. Uría qualified the Maserati A6GCM/250F in 19th position on the grid, and he started the race, driving the first half before handing over to González during the mid-race pit stops.

González completed the second half of the race, bringing the Maserati home in sixth place, ten laps behind race winner Fangio in the factory Lancia-Ferrari, and three laps behind the fifth-placed finisher. Under 1956 regulations, only the top five finishers scored championship points (8-6-4-3-2), meaning González's sixth place, while a solid finish given the circumstances, earned no points for either driver. This shared drive at the 1956 Argentine Grand Prix represented González's sole Formula One World Championship appearance. He never competed in another Formula One race, returning to Uruguay and Argentina where he continued racing in national and regional motorsport for several more years before eventually retiring from competition.

González was one of only four Formula One drivers from Uruguay, joining Alberto Uría (his co-driver at Argentina 1956), Eitel Cantoni (who participated in the 1952 Argentine Grand Prix), and Gonzalo Rodríguez (who tragically was killed at Laguna Seca in 1999 while racing in CART). Uruguay, despite its small population, has produced passionate motorsport culture, though Formula One opportunities for Uruguayan drivers have been extremely rare given the country's limited racing infrastructure and small domestic market. Following his racing career, González remained connected to Uruguayan motorsport, attending events and maintaining friendships with the South American racing community. He lived a long life, passing away on 5 November 2006 in Montevideo at age 82, just five days before his 83rd birthday, having witnessed the evolution of motorsport from the dangerous, gentleman-amateur era of the 1950s through to the modern professional age.

González's Formula One appearance, while brief and not resulting in championship points, represented an important moment for Uruguayan motorsport and South American racing more broadly, demonstrating that drivers from smaller nations could compete at Formula One level when given opportunities. The 1956 Argentine Grand Prix featured several South American drivers including González, reflecting the strong regional racing culture that had developed in Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil during the 1940s and 1950s. While González never achieved the international fame of Fangio or José Froilán González, his participation in Formula One's World Championship represents a footnote in the history of South American motorsport and Uruguay's limited Formula One heritage.

Known for his friendship with Argentine racing legends, his shared drive in difficult circumstances finishing tenth laps down yet still classified, and representing Uruguay on Formula One's world stage, González remains a minor but genuine part of Formula One's diverse history during the sport's formative years when drivers from many nations attempted to compete at the highest level, often with limited resources but great passion.