Alex Ribeiro

Alexandre "Alex" Dias Ribeiro (born in Belo Horizonte, 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.

For the Brazilian surfer, see Alex Ribeiro (surfer).
This name uses Portuguese naming customs: the first or maternal family name is Dias and the second or paternal family name is Ribeiro.
Alex Ribeiro
Born (1948-11-07) 7 November 1948
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality 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

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 2002 Brazilian Grand Prix, Ribeiro was involved in a potentially serious incident. During the morning warm-up on race day Sunday, Enrique Bernoldi crashed his Arrows in Turn 2. When Ribeiro, the driver of the Medical Car, went out to check on Bernoldi, he opened the door to the car. Just as he opened it, Nick Heidfeld came along in his Sauber and smashed into the open door. Both Ribeiro and Heidfeld were uninjured.

In 1981, Ribeiro wrote an autobiographical book called "Mais Que Vencedor" (translation goes something like "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 Cosworth 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 Cosworth 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 Fittipaldi F6A Cosworth V8 ARG
 BRA
 RSA
 USW
 ESP
 BEL
 MON
 FRA
 GBR
 GER
 AUT
 NED
 ITA
 CAN
DNQ		 USA
DNQ		 NC 0
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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. "Who Won the '94 World Cup?". Amazon.com. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
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