Roberto Bonomi

Roberto Wenceslao Bonomi Oliva (30 September 1919 - 10 January 1992): Argentine racing driver, wealthy landowner, and local politician who competed in one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, the 1960 Argentine Grand Prix at Buenos Aires. Born into a prosperous Argentine family, Bonomi was a gentleman racer who could afford to pursue motorsport as an enthusiast while maintaining business and political interests. During the early 1950s, he competed successfully in Argentine sports car racing, winning the Argentine Sports Car Championship in both 1952 and 1953 driving Ferraris. These victories established him as one of Argentina's leading sports car drivers during the era when Argentine motorsport was flourishing.

His Formula One opportunity came at his home race, the 1960 Argentine Grand Prix on 7 February 1960, when he drove a Cooper T51-Maserati entered by Scuderia Centro Sud. The car featured a Cooper chassis fitted with a Maserati engine rather than the more common Climax powerplant. Bonomi qualified 17th on the grid and completed the race distance to finish 11th, four laps behind winner Bruce McLaren, failing to score championship points. While his performance was modest, simply completing the race in the intense heat of a Buenos Aires summer demonstrated physical endurance and mechanical sympathy.

Bonomi never competed in another World Championship Formula One race, content to have tested himself at the highest level at his home Grand Prix. He continued his involvement in Argentine motorsport in various capacities while focusing primarily on his land holdings and political activities. As a wealthy politician and landowner, Bonomi represented the traditional South American gentleman racer who competed for personal satisfaction rather than professional necessity. His single Formula One appearance was typical of the era when local drivers would enter their home Grands Prix with privately-entered cars, adding to the field size and local interest without necessarily being competitive for points.

Bonomi died on 10 January 1992 at age 72 in Argentina. Known for: Winning the Argentine Sports Car Championship in 1952 and 1953, competing in the 1960 Argentine Grand Prix with a Cooper-Maserati, finishing 11th in his only Formula One World Championship race, and being a wealthy landowner and politician who raced as a gentleman amateur.