Mário de Araújo Cabral

Mário Manuel Veloso de Araújo Cabral (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈmaɾiu vɨˈlozu ðɨ ɐɾɐˈuʒu kaˈβɾal]; 15 January 1934 – 17 August 2020), commonly known by the nickname "Nicha" Cabral ([ˈniʃɐ kaˈβɾaɫ]), was a racing driver from Portugal. He participated in five Formula One World Championship Grands Prix (four starts), debuting on 23 August 1959. He did not score any championship points. In 2009, at the age of 75, Cabral came out as bisexual.[1]

Mário de Araújo Cabral
Born(1934-01-15)15 January 1934
Cedofeita, Porto, Portugal
Died17 August 2020(2020-08-17) (aged 86)
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityPortugal Portuguese
Active years19591960, 19631964
TeamsDerrington-Francis
non-works Cooper
Entries5 (4 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1959 Portuguese Grand Prix
Last entry1964 Italian Grand Prix

Racing career

edit

Son of the second marriage of the 1st Count of Vizela, Cabral was regarded as Portugal's outstanding driver of the late 1950s[2] and competed in the Portuguese Grand Prix in 1959 and 1960 finishing in tenth place and retiring respectively.[2]

In the 1959 Grand Prix at the Circuito de Monsanto, he was responsible for causing the accident which left future triple world champion Jack Brabham lucky to escape with his life. He collided with the Australian while he was being lapped, causing Brabham to spin and then somersault into a telegraph post. Brabham was thrown out of the car, which landed in the middle of the circuit, but was avoided by the other drivers. Cabral finished the race in 10th place, 4 laps down. He was the first Portuguese driver to start a Formula One race.

Cabral did not pursue a full-time racing career but drove for Scuderia Centro Sud in the 1961 Pau Grand Prix.[2] His career was then interrupted by National Service which he spent as a paratrooper in Angola.[2] He returned to Formula One with Centro Sud in 1963 retiring from the German Grand Prix and failing to qualify at Monza.[2] His Formula One career ended with a retirement from the 1964 Italian Grand Prix in the Derrington-Francis-ATS.

Cabral was seriously injured in the 1965 Formula Two Rouen-Les-Essarts Grand Prix and was absent from competition until 1968 when he returned to race sportscars and occasionally in Formula Two before retiring in 1975.[2]

Complete Formula One World Championship results

edit

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 WDC Points
1959 Scuderia Centro Sud Cooper T51 Maserati
Straight-4
MON 500 NED FRA GBR GER POR
10
ITA USA NC 0
1960 Scuderia Centro Sud Cooper T51 Maserati
Straight-4
ARG MON 500 NED BEL FRA GBR POR
Ret
ITA USA NC 0
1963 Scuderia Centro Sud Cooper T60 Climax V8 MON BEL NED FRA GBR GER
Ret
ITA
DNQ
USA MEX RSA NC 0
1964 Derrington-Francis Racing Team Derrington-Francis ATS V8 MON NED BEL FRA GBR GER AUT ITA
Ret
USA MEX NC 0

References

edit
Footnotes
  1. ^ Richards, Giles (2024-07-15). "Former Formula One driver Ralf Schumacher comes out as gay". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Small, Steve (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 89. ISBN 0851127029.
Sources