Mario B. Haberfeld

Mario Bührke Haberfeld (born January 25, 1976, in São Paulo) is a Brazilian former racing driver.

Racing career

After winning the British Formula 3 Championship in 1998, Haberfeld drove in Formula 3000 from 1999 until 2002. He posted some decent results but struggled his first season driving for the McLaren junior team failing to score a single point while teammate Nick Heidfeld won the series championship.

Haberfeld also tested for a number of Formula One teams, including Stewart Grand Prix in 1998, McLaren in 1999, and Jordan in 2001.

In 2003, Haberfeld moved to the Champ Car World Series driving for Mi-Jack Conquest Racing. His team shared information with a fellow rookie team driving a Reynard chassis, Emerson Fittipaldi's team with future F1 driver Tiago Monteiro. He scored a best finish of fourth on his first start in St. Petersburg. In 2004, he was a field-filler driving the lone Reynard in the series for Derrick Walker, but proved his worth with another pair of top-five finishes No one picked Haberfeld up for 2005, but he drove a few Grand-Am races for Tuttle Team Racing at the end of the year. He then drove in the Rolex Grand Am series for Adrian Fernández who was also his teammate.

In 2019, Haberfeld raced in the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy, for Jaguar Brazil Racing, temporarily replacing Cacá Bueno.

Personal life

Haberfeld is a conservationist and the founder of Onçafari, an organization dedicated to wildlife conservation and habitat protection in Brazil. Since 2011, he has been at the forefront of jaguar conservation, rewilding programs, ecotourism activities, and scientific research, working to preserve Brazil’s natural ecosystems. Under his leadership, Onçafari has expanded from its origins in the Pantanal to multiple biomes, including the Cerrado, Atlantic Forest and Amazon, implementing fire prevention programs, community engagement projects, and biodiversity monitoring. His efforts have promoted sustainable ecotourism, contributed to the expansion of protected areas, and led to the successful reintroduction of jaguars and many other species into the wild.

Haberfeld collaborates with government agencies, private landowners, and global conservation organizations, advocating for wildlife-friendly economic models that integrate conservation with local community development. His work has positioned Onçafari as a leading conservation initiative in Brazil, influencing policy discussions on biodiversity, habitat restoration, and fire mitigation.

Racing record Career summary Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F.Laps Podiums Points Position 1994 Formula Ford Festival Andy Welch Racing 1 0 0 0 0 0 9th 1995 British Formula Ford Championship Manor Motorsport 16 3 3 3 9 99 4th Formula Ford Festival 1 0 0 0 1 0 3rd 1996 Eurocup Formula Renault Manor Motorsport ? 1 ? ? 3 88 5th Championnat de France Formule Renault ? 4 0 0 0 0 0 NC 1997 British Formula Three Championship Martin Donnelly Racing 15 2 1 0 3 108 6th Macau Grand Prix 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC Masters of Formula 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 12th 1998 British Formula Three Championship Paul Stewart Racing 16 6 5 4 11 2181st Masters of Formula 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 3rd 1999 International Formula 3000 West Competition 6 0 0 0 0 0 NC Formula One West McLaren Mercedes Test Driver 2000 International Formula 3000 Fortec Motorsport 7 0 0 0 0 0 NC 2001 International Formula 3000 Super Nova Racing 12 0 0 0 0 3 15th 2002 International Formula 3000 Team Astromega 12 0 0 0 2 19 7th 2003 Champ Car World Series Conquest Racing 18 0 0 1 0 71 12th 2004 Champ Car World Series Walker Racing 14 0 0 0 0 157 13th 2006 Rolex Sports Car Series Fernández Racing 14 1 0 0 2 332 13th 2007 Le Mans Series - LMP2 Embassy Racing 1 0 0 0 1 0 NC 2008 Le Mans Series - LMP2 Embassy Racing 2 0 0 0 0 1 19th 2019–20 Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy ZEG iCarros Jaguar Brazil 2 0 0 0 0 16 8th

Complete International Formula 3000 results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Complete Champ Car World Series results (key) ^ New points system implemented in 2004

Complete Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) Year Team Car Class12345678910 Points 2019–20 ZEG iCarros Jaguar Brazil Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY P ADR8 ADR7 MEX BER BER BER BER BER BER BER 8th 16

Recognitions and Awards 2024: Onçafari was recognized as one of Brazil’s Top 100 NGOs 2024: Onçafari was recognized by Condé Nast Traveler’s Bright Ideas in Travel 2024

Books

Alma Selvagem / Wild Soul (Portuguese/English, 2011) – A book by Mario Haberfeld featuring stunning wildlife photography and insights into Brazil’s biodiversity and conservation efforts. Written by Mario Haberfeld and Laís Duarte. A Onça na Cultura Pantaneira (2017) – A book exploring the cultural significance of the jaguar in the Pantanal region, written by Mario Haberfeld, Adriano Gambarini and Laís Duarte. Panthera Onca: À Sombra das Florestas / In the shadow of the forests - This book aims to gather information of all kinds about the jaguar in the interior of Brazil. Written by Mario Haberfeld, Adriano Gambarini and Laís Duarte.

Documentaries BBC – Jaguar Brazil’s Super Cats (2016-2017) – A pioneering team attempts to re-wild two orphan jaguar cubs in the heart of Brazil. BBC - Planet Earth III - Episode 3: Deserts & Grasslands (2023) Jaguar - Closer than you ever thought possible / WCP - A wildlife documentary that records the unprecedented process of “habituation” of jaguars in the Brazilian Pantanal, a procedure that will bring humans face to face with untamed beasts. Diary of a Jaguar Cerrado: Life on the Edge (Upcoming) – A documentary addressing habitat destruction in the Cerrado, where Haberfeld serves as a co-producer.

Articles Revista da Gol: O HOMEM ONÇA A história de MARIO HABERFELD, ex-piloto de automobilismo que transformou a preservação da onça-pintada em propósito de vida Revista Unquiet: Para o ambientalista brasileiro, criador do projeto Onçafari, uma das melhores maneiras de preservação do meio-ambiente é o ecoturismo Folha de SP: Campeão do automobilismo vira guardião das onças - Turismo Forbes: Incêndio devastador consome o Pantanal e o Onçafari pede ajuda Forbes: Safári brasileiro: as aventuras do Refúgio Ecológico Caiman Terra: ONG de ex-piloto de F1 atua na preservação de onças e combate a incêndios no Pantanal Revista United Hemispheres: Big Cat ComeBack Antilophia - Saving the Species: Jaguar Conservationist Mario Haberfeld Talks and Interviews TED TALK:The Race Against Time TV Conversa com Bial (entrevista - parte 1) TV Conversa com Bial (entrevista - parte 2) CNN Brasil (TV): CEO da Onçafari à CNN: Recuperação da fauna do Pantanal depende das cheias