Mário de Araújo Cabral made his debut at the 1959 Portuguese Grand Prix, becoming the first Portuguese driver to compete in a Formula One race. Entering a Cooper-Maserati, he finished his first race in 10th position. Araújo Cabral participated in a further four World Championship Grands Prix over the next five years, including the 1960 Portuguese Grand Prix, as well as four non-championship races, where his best result was a 4th place finish at the 1961 Pau Grand Prix. His final Formula One race was the 1964 Italian Grand Prix, after which he competed in a variety of series including Formula 2 and the Le Mans 24 Hours.