The F1 test driver turned wild jaguar lifesaver
After getting very closely but ultimately failing to reach the highest level of single-seater motorsport, Mario Haberfeld returned to his home nation and made his other great passion his life's work - saving endangered wild jaguars
Not many racing drivers who have tested Formula 1 cars for McLaren, Jordan and Stewart have appeared in a documentary narrated by legendary broadcaster Sir David Attenborough. But Brazil's Mario Haberfeld was never an ordinary racer.
Delightful company out of the cockpit, but hard-as-nails inside it - and prone to his fair share of huge shunts - I've known Haberfeld since his British Formula Ford days of 1995. While he's still the amiable character he was then, his life is very different these days, but that steely determination remains.
Share Or Save This Story
Charles Bradley is Motorsport.com’s Global Editor in Chief. After spending five years in the aerospace industry in his native North Wales, while working weekends as a freelance writer at racetracks around the UK, Charles joined the staff of Motoring News in the heart of London. He transferred to the nascent Autosport.com team in 2000 before transitioning to the magazine, becoming its Editor between 2011 and 2014. Charles then upped sticks to work in America, as Motorsport.com’s Editor in Chief, where he created the multi-national and multi-lingual editorial team that quickly became the world’s most-read motorsport website. He was instrumental in delivering three of the biggest Global F1 Fan Surveys in sports history and is also a multiple award-winning scriptwriter. Charles is an overseas member of the Guild of Motoring Writers. He lives in Miami Beach with his wife Helen – and a cat that’s named after Serbia’s top football club.
More from Charles Bradley
2024 F1 Chinese GP qualifying results: Verstappen takes pole
2024 F1 Chinese GP sprint results: Verstappen wins from fourth on grid
Long Beach IMSA: Derani takes pole for Cadillac by 0.009s, then wrecks
Lauda's 1976 German GP helmet to be auctioned at F1 Miami GP
2024 F1 Chinese GP sprint qualifying results: Norris takes pole
How MotoGP brakes work: Secrets of stopping a 220mph bike
Why MotoGP’s COTA thriller was just what Liberty wanted to see
How IMSA's GTP revival proved worthy of its name
Latest news
WEC Imola: Fuoco completes Ferrari's practice sweep in red-flagged FP3
WRC Croatia: Neuville edges clear of Evans, Ogier in pursuit
Aston Martin protests F1 Chinese GP qualifying results after Sainz red flag crash
Ferrari F1 drivers split over China sprint race clash talks
Autosport Plus
The short-term pain that hides a very real Williams improvement
How a Shanghai to Sheffield journey paved the way for China’s F1 hero
Why F1 2026 worst case fears could be key to new rules success
How the F1 driver market situation sits for each team with 2025 openings
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.