Alex Ribeiro

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Alex Ribeiro
Born (1948-11-07) 7 November 1948 (age 75)
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityBrazil Brazilian
Active years1976 - 1977, 1979
TeamsHesketh, March, Fittipaldi
Entries20 (10 starts)
Career points0
First entry1976 United States Grand Prix
Last entry1979 United States Grand Prix
Alex Ribeiro in 2021

Alex Dias Ribeiro (born November 7, 1948)[1] is a former racing driver from Brazil. He entered in 20 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix but scored no World Championship points.

Career

After solid graduation from the lower formulae (he placed fifth in the

1976 European Formula Two season), Ribeiro paid for his drive in the March Formula One team for the 1977
season (main sponsors were Caixa Econômica Federal-a Brazilian bank and Souza Cruz-a tobacco company).

However, the season turned into a nightmare. March owner Max Mosley (later FIA president) hired four drivers, and the team simply could not provide for them all. Ribeiro's reputation as a driver suffered.

In 1978, he tried to save his credentials as a racing driver and set up a privately owned F2 team to enter the

1978 European Formula Two season, a year dominated by the March factory team. His car was painted with the words "Jesus Saves". Ribeiro managed to win the Nürburgring round dramatically after favorites Bruno Giacomelli and Marc Surer
retired from the race. The rest of the season, however, bore no fruit.

Then, in 1979, the fellow Brazilian Fittipaldi team offered him two chances to qualify a second car, for the Canadian and American Formula One Grands Prix. However, the team was concentrating on former F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi, and Ribeiro failed to qualify for both events.

Ribeiro was perhaps best known for his proclamation of faith in the form of 'Jesus Saves' slogans on his Formula One cars.[2]

He subsequently went on to perform Chaplaincy at the F1 events he attended as the driver of the Medical Car and is arguably the most accomplished driver in the 'Christians In Motorsport' group.

In 1994, he joined the Brazil national football team as a pastor at the FIFA World Cup in the United States. He held worship services for the team and later wrote a book about the team's journey to victory, titled "Who won the '94 World Cup?" (¿quién Ganó La Copa Mundial?).[3]

At the

Sauber
and smashed into the open door. Both Ribeiro and Heidfeld were uninjured.

In 1981, Ribeiro wrote an autobiographical book called "Mais Que Vencedor" (rough translation "More Than A Winner"), in which he names March owner Max Mosley "Mack Mouse" and March engineer Robin Herd "Robin Hood". He owned a motorbike shop in Brasilia where both Nelson Piquet and Roberto Moreno worked as young mechanics, therefore having the unusual distinction that the same shop produced 3 Formula One drivers.

Racing record

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos. Pts
1975 March Engineering March 752 BMW
EST
THR HOC NÜR PAU HOC SAL ROU MUG PER SIL
ZOL
NOG
VAL

Ret
NC 0
1976 March Engineering March 762 BMW HOC
13
THR
2
VAL

3
SAL
5
PAU
6
HOC
Ret
ROU
Ret
MUG
4
PER
2
EST

3
NOG
5
HOC
Ret
5th 31
1977 March Engineering March 772P BMW SIL THR
3
HOC NÜR DON
8
14th 4
AFMP Euroracing March 772
VAL

14
PAU MUG
Fred Opert Racing
Chevron B40
Hart
ROU
7
NOG PER
MIS

DNQ
EST
1978 Alex Ribeiro March 782
Hart
THR
15
HOC
6
NÜR
1
PAU
12
MUG
10
VAL

NC
ROU
10
DON
Ret
NOG
Ret
PER
7
MIS

13
HOC 8th 11

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 WDC Points
1976 Hesketh Racing Hesketh 308D
V8
BRA
RSA
USW
ESP
BEL
MON
SWE
FRA
GBR
GER
AUT
NED
ITA
CAN
USA
12
JPN
NC 0
1977 Hollywood March Racing March 761B
V8
ARG
Ret
BRA
Ret
RSA
Ret
USW
Ret
ESP
DNQ
MON
DNQ
BEL
DNQ
SWE
DNQ
FRA
DNQ
GBR
DNQ
GER
8
AUT
DNQ
NED
11
ITA
DNQ
USA
15
CAN
8
JPN
12
NC 0
1979 Fittipaldi Automotive
F6A
V8
ARG
BRA
RSA
USW
ESP
BEL
MON
FRA
GBR
GER
AUT
NED
ITA
CAN
DNQ
USA
DNQ
NC 0

References

  1. ^ Jenkins, Richard. "The World Championship drivers - Where are they now?". OldRacingCars.com. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
  2. ^ "Presents Alex Ribeiro". Thegoal.com. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  3. .