Alex Ribeiro
| Born | 7 November 1948 |
|---|---|
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |
 Brazilian
|
| Active years | 1976 - 1977, 1979 |
| Teams | Hesketh, March, Fittipaldi |
| Entries | 20 (10 starts) |
| Career points | 0 |
| First entry | 1976 United States Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1979 United States Grand Prix |
Alexandre "Alex" Dias Ribeiro (born in Belo Horizonte, November 7, 1948) is a former racing driver from Brazil. He entered in 20 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, but scored no World Championship points.
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.
...
Wikipedia