Career
After a 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 did not have the capability to 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 in a dramatic way, 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.
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.
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".
Read more about this topic: Alex Ribeiro
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