Samba Speedsters: The other Boys from Brazil in Formula 1

While no Brazilian drivers are on the grid currently, over the years over thirty of them made it to Formula 1, with varying degrees of success and impact. Here's a look back at some of the other Boys from Brazil.

Brazil has been represented in Grand Prix racing before the start of the Formula 1 championship in 1950. Since the start of the Drivers’ Championship at Silverstone on a Saturday in May 1950, 31 Brazilian drivers have raced in Formula 1.

Between them they scored a total of 101 victories. They have been on the podium 293 times. Started 126 races from pole position. Sixty-five of these were achieved by one driver. Senna.

Some of the Brazilian drivers raced in Formula 1 for several years and won many races, but, unfortunately, were unable to achieve the ultimate goal - the Formula 1 World Championship as their compatriots Emerson Fittpaldi, Ayrton Senna and Nelson Piquet Snr. did.

Landi was one of the first Brazilian drivers to race in Europe. He drove a Maserati at the 1947 Bari Grand Prix. The commentator for the race broadcast on Brazilian radio was Emerson Fittipaldi's father.

In 1948, Landi won the Bari Grand Prix driving a Ferrari. He took part in six Formula One championship races, making his debut at Monza in 1951 to become the first Brazilian to race in a Formula 1 championship event. His best finish was fourth in the 1956 Argentine Grand Prix driving a Maserati.

He later became manager of the Interlagos circuit and passed away in 1989 at the age of eighty-one.

Pace first and only F1 victory – over fellow Paulista and defending world champion Fittipaldi - came in the 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix driving for Bernie Ecclestone-owned Brabham team. He had five other podium finishes, his first was with John Surtees’ team when he finished third in the 1973 Austrian Grand Prix, behind Jackie Stewart and race winner Ronnie Peterson.

Pace’s only pole position came in the 1975 South African Grand Prix. He was 1970 Forward Trust British Formula 3 champion. In 1973 at Le Mans, he was second in a Ferrari with Arturo Merzario. According to one of his competitors, based on Pace’s wife’s frequent shopping habits, in the paddock she was known as Miss American Express.

On March 18, 1977, Pace was killed in a private plane crash near São Paulo. Today, the Interlagos circuit is named in his honour and memory.

Massa is another Paulista. Between 1999 and 2001 he won three championships in junior formulae. In 1999, he was Formula Chevrolet champion in Brazil. In 2000, he won the extremely competitive Formula Renault Eurocup and in 2001 was Euro Formula 3000 champion, winning six of the eight races.

He drove for Sauber, Ferrari, and Williams. At Ferrari he won races against a strong teammate - Michael Schumacher. Massa’s first victory was in the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix and remaining ten wins all came in the red car.

He was world champion for 15 seconds in the dramatic season finale at Interlagos in 2008. This was his final Formula 1 victory. In all, he took part in 269 Grand Prix races. And started from pole position sixteen times.

Massa is currently racing in the Brazilian stock car championship and raced at Daytona 24-Hour race this year.

His racing career was saved by a Brazilian businessman who offered to pay for his junior racing in return for 20% of future earnings. That was over 20 years ago and to this day, “Rubinho” is happily paying the businessman his 20% cut.

After winning karting championships in Brazil, he landed in England in 1990 and hit the ground running, winning that year’s Formula Opel Lotus Euro series and the British Formula 3 in 1991 over “DC”.

In 1994 at Imola, Rubinho was the first of three drivers to have a serious accident that weekend. He was the only lucky one.

His first F1 victory came in the 2000 German Grand Prix for Ferrari. He took eight other wins with the Italian team and was second in the championship in 2002 and 2004, not bad when his teammate is Michael Schumacher.

Rubinho also scored two wins – Valencia & Monza - with Brawn GP in 2009. He took part in 323 Grand Prix races, was on the podium 68 times and started 14 races from pole position.

In life after Formula 1, he raced in Indy cars during the 2012 season and finished 11th at Indy. Today, back home in Brazil, he is still racing in the local stock car championship, where he won the championship in 2022 in a Toyota Corolla.

Zonta is from Curitiba in the state of Parana. Expectations were high after championship success in the 1995 South American Formula 3, and the 1997 Formula 3000 win over Juan Pablo Montoya, as well as the 1998 World Sports Car Championship with Mercedes.

This success did not follow him in Formula 1. In 36 Grand Prix races his best finish was sixth three times in the 2000 season, in Australia, USA and Italy.

Zonta is best remembered for the car in between Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen in that famous and daring pass by the Finn at Spa in the 2000 Belgian Grand Prix.

Zonta is currently second in the Brazilian Stock car championship, thirty points behind Rafael Suzuki. His family owns Condor supermarkets in Brazil.

De Matta is from Belo Horizonte. Cristiano inherited passion for Motorsport from his papa who won multiple Brazilian stock car championships.

Like most young Brazilian drivers, he travelled to England to find a way to Formula 1.

He was eighth in the 1995 British Formula 3 championship, his only victory of the season was at Oulton Park. In 1996, he moved up to Formula 3000. Scoring only seven points he was ninth in the championship.

He then switched to racing on the other side of the Atlantic. Da Matta won the Indy Lights championship in his second attempt in 1998.

In 2002, he won the IndyCar championship in a Toyota-powered Newman-Haas Lola, which got him into Formula One with the Japanese manufacturer. This experiment, like other IndyCar champions, Alex Zanardi and Michael Andretti did not work out. In 28 Grand Prix starts, da Matta scored 13 points.

He returned to Indy car racing. In 2006, at Road America circuit in Wisconsin, he was involved in a serious accident during testing when his car collided with a deer at high speed.

Today, he participates in the family’s clothing business, da Matta Designs.

Bernoldi was one of the first Red Bull, junior drivers to reach Formula One. Time and circumstances were not on his side. In 2001, “DC” and Ron Dennis were totally frustrated with Bernoldi at Monaco as he held up the McLaren driver for many laps.

All his twenty-eight races were with one team, Arrows. He did not score any points. His best finish was 8^th at Hockenheimring in 2001.

Before racing in Formula 1, Bernoldi won karting championships in Brazil and won the 1996 Formula Renault Euro cup.

He finished on the podium in third place in both the 1997 and 1998 Macau Grand Prix. He was second to fellow Brazilian Mario Haberfeld in the 1998 British Formula 3.

Today, Enrique is helping his son in his karting career in the United States.

In European racing circles, he was known as “jungle boy” as he came from Amazonia region of Brazil.

After winning the Brazilian karting championship in 1995, he moved to England and won the 1998 Formula Vauxhall championship. The following year he won Formula Renault UK. In 2000, he was British Formula 3 Champion ahead of Tomas Scheckter, Takuma Sato, and Narain “Cucumber” Karthikeyan.

He made his Formula 1 debut in the 2003 season with Jaguar team. His best finish was 9th in Austria.

Between 2004 and 2005, he took part in nine races with the Williams BMW team. In his final season 2005, his best finish was seventh at Monza. In 20 Grand Prix starts he scored eight points.

He is now helping his son in his karting career.

A sentimental favourite for many, Bruno’s racing career was put on hold after the passing of his uncle.

He was a late starter in racing but had the advice and guidance of his uncle Ayrton Senna's teammate and friend Gerhard Berger. In 2005 he raced in British Formula 3 with Raikkonen Robertson Racing. Three podium finishes helped him to tenth place in the championship.

In 2006, he won the first three races of the British Formula 3 championship, two additional wins placed him third in the championship. In 2008, he won two races in GP2 Series and finished second in the championship behind Giorgio Pantano.

Bruno made his Grand Prix debut in 2010 with the Hispania Racing Team (HRT) team. Best finish was 14th in the South Korean Grand Prix. He switched to the Renault team the following season. His only points finish was Monza in 9th.

2012 was his final season. He drove for Williams and finished 16th in the championship with 31 points. His best race result came at Sepang where he finished 6th.