Alex Dias Ribeiro

16. Apr 2021

by Ziv Knoll

7001 views

Alex Dias Ribeiro is a former racing driver from Brazil. He participated in 20 Formula 1 Grand Prix, but scored no championship points.

Fast in Formula 2 in 1976 (picture above), with 5th in the final standings, Alex Dias Ribeiro moved into Formula 1 with the March in 1977. The season turned into a nightmare. Max Mosley hired four drivers and the team simply did not have enough resources.

Alex returned to Formula 2 in 1978 to save his credential as a racing driver and set up his own private team, his car famously painted with the words “Jesus Saves”.

A fantastic performance saw him win the F2 round at the Nurburgring, where he battled with and beat the likes of Giacomelli, Surer and Rosberg.

Then in 1979, the Brazilian Fittipaldi team offered him two chances to qualify a second car, for the Canadian and American F1 Grand Prix. However, the team was concentrating on double World Champion and team owner Emerson Fittipaldi, and Ribeiro failed to qualify for both events.

A likeable person and a very decent driver, Ribeiro was best known for his proclamation of faith in the form of ‘Jesus Saves’ or ‘Jesus Salva’ slogans on his Formula 1 and F2 cars.