Chaves became the second Portuguese Formula Ford Champion in 1986, a result that launched his international career. In 1987 he moved to the British Formula Ford Championship. He went on to win the British F3000 Championship in 1990 with the Madgwick Motorsport outfit, also contesting a handful of rounds of the FIA F3000 International series that same season.
In 1991, Chaves suffered a disastrous season in Formula One with the under-financed and uncompetitive Coloni team. He failed to pre-qualify for 13 Grands Prix. After failing to pre-qualify for his home Portuguese Grand Prix, Chaves left the team, taking the remainder of his sponsorship money with him.
At the end of 1991, he reached an agreement with Leyton House — soon to be renamed March F1 — to compete in 1992, but the sponsorship money arrived too late and the seat went to Karl Wendlinger instead.
In 1992, Chaves returned to the FIA F3000 series, initially with GJ Racing and later in the season with the more competitive Il Barone Rampante, without scoring notable results. He then spent three years in the American Indy Lights series with Brian Stewart Racing. In 1995, Chaves won a race at Vancouver. He and Robbie Buhl were the only drivers to win that season other than Greg Moore, who claimed the rest of the events that year.
In 1996, Chaves transitioned to touring car racing, finishing second in the Spanish Touring Car Championship in a BMW. He subsequently raced a Porsche in the FIA GT Championship. In 2001, he took the Spanish GT Championship title in a Saleen S7-R co-driven by Miguel Ramos. He also competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the FIA GT Championship for Graham Nash Motorsport.
Chaves moved to the Portuguese Rally Championship in 1998. He won the national title in both 1999 and 2000 alongside co-driver Sergio Paiva in a works-supported Toyota Corolla WRC. In 2005 and 2006, he returned to the Portuguese Rally Championship to drive a works Renault Clio S1600.
Across his rally career, Chaves competed in WRC events, primarily at the Rally Finland (1000 Lakes), the Swedish Rally, and the RAC Rally in Great Britain.
After retiring from full-time racing, Chaves became a driver coach to A1 Team Lebanon in 2006, then took over managerial duties with A1 Team Portugal in 2008. He has also managed the racing career of his son David. His career arc — from Formula One near-miss to multiple national champion across wildly different disciplines — reflects a competitor who consistently found ways to remain competitive outside the top single-seater ladder.
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