Button car-jacked in Sao Paulo

themandan6611

Armed attackers have targeted British Formula One driver Jenson Button in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, his McLaren racing team have confirmed.
His car was attacked, but Button was unhurt, McLaren said. :eek:

i was only their last year - a lovely place, but i dont drive:)

amacachi

****hole of a country tbh unless you're in the top 2%, really need to sort out social problems before they try to grow their middle class.

But yeah, what kind of car was it? I remember a few years ago on ITV they were doing a thing with a driver in the carpark and I think the Ferrari drivers had Fiats and the Renault drivers had Scenics or something ridiculous like that. :pac:

Ghost Train

Hope everyone ok. Not a nice thing to happen

thewheel2.0

Heres the link, he had an armored car apparently... poor fela thats the last thing he will want. He doesn't strike me as being mentally strong, this might have an affect(bad night sleep etc) .

gonedrinking

Why have the BBC got the headline that he was carjacked? Once you click into the article they state that all that happened was that armed people approached the car he was travelling in, and the driver of it drove away before they reached the car. Can I sue the BBC for false/misleading reporting?

amacachi

LOL, police drivers and all, good to see the F1 teams are that smart at least. :pac:

Ghost Train

bit more about it... machine guns sounds scary

More details are emerging about the attack on Jenson Button on Saturday night in Brazil. The World Champion left the Interlagos circuit shortly before seven, heading back to the luxurious Hilton Sao Paulo Morumbi. He was travelling in a bulletproof Mercedes with a driver, his trainer Mike Collier, his manager Richard Goddard and trainer Mike Collier. The car was just a few minutes from the circuit, heading into town in traffic when a gang of armed men came out of an apartment block and approached the car, one was carrying what looked like baseball bat, others were carrying machine guns. The driver reacted instantly and forced his way out of the situation, hitting several other cars as he did so. The occupants of the damaged vehicles followed Button’s car to the hotel, in order to get details for insurance claims. The attack on Button and his party is the latest in a series of similar attacks in the same area and this is bound to lead to calls for Interlagos to be dumped from the F1 calendar. The track is a great one, but the facilities are ancient and crumbling and completely out of step with the other modern circuits on the F1 calendar. The race remains on the calendar simply because it is the only venue in South America. There has been talk for years of plans to build new circuits in better areas, but nothing has ever happened.

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2010/11/07/more-in-the-button-attack/

losthorizon

7 Sauber mechanics were mugged last night as well!

UngratefulWhelp

amacachi wrote: »

****hole of a country tbh unless you're in the top 2%, really need to sort out social problems before they try to grow their middle class.

But yeah, what kind of car was it? I remember a few years ago on ITV they were doing a thing with a driver in the carpark and I think the Ferrari drivers had Fiats and the Renault drivers had Scenics or something ridiculous like that. :pac:

Clearly you haven't got the first fvcking idea of what you're talking about.

Brazil is very far from a '****hole', even allowing for its violent crime problem, much of which is built on drugs imported from neighbouring countries.

Nor is the wealth concentrated in the top two per cent nor anything like it. Brazil has a massive middle class, which accounts for around half of its 200 million plus population.

It is recognised, along with China, as one of the biggest emerging markets on earth.

The ill-informed waffle above is akin to a naive Yank asking whether Irish people drive cars or still get about on donkeys.

PJTierney

Spotted this morning:



:cool:

amacachi

UngratefulWhelp wrote: »

The ill-informed waffle above is akin to a naive Yank asking whether Irish people drive cars or still get about on donkeys.

Not really, I'm going on statistics and the like. Maybe murder is overreported though, who know?:rolleyes:

EvilMonkey

I hope they don't try and hijack the trucks leaving after the F1 because if their is any major delay in getting out of Brazil they would be cutting it fine to make it to Abu Dhabi on time. :eek:

Ghost Train

They have said security around the teams will be increased , hopefully just a one off

more police helicopters keeping an eye on things
http://twitpic.com/34r8ay

UngratefulWhelp

amacachi wrote: »

Not really, I'm going on statistics and the like. Maybe murder is overreported though, who know?:rolleyes:

Show me the "statistics and the like" that indicates Brazil is a ****hole and that unless you're within the top two per cent of the population that life's not worth living.

You're a spoofer and you've been caught out. Ignorance is a terrible burden, but you bear it well.

amacachi

UngratefulWhelp wrote: »

Show me the "statistics and the like" that indicates Brazil is a ****hole and that unless you're within the top two per cent of the population that life's not worth living.

You're a spoofer and you've been caught out. Ignorance is a terrible burden, but you bear it well.

Murder rate is the tenth worst in the world with bastions of civilisation like Venezuela and South Africa being worse. Gini co-efficient is also one of the highest, funnily enough some of the countries with higher murder rates also have a higher Gini score.

UngratefulWhelp

amacachi wrote: »

Murder rate is the tenth worst in the world with bastions of civilisation like Venezuela and South Africa being worse. Gini co-efficient is also one of the highest, funnily enough some of the countries with higher murder rates also have a higher Gini score.

Can you throw up some of these stats? I assume they're on a per capita basis.

I've been to Brazil on several occasions. There's no doubt there is great poverty in certain sections of the country and its major cities. Nor is there any doubt about its violent crime problem. Interlagos lies right beside a favela, which would account for the attempted carjacking. It is also true that it's not wise to stop at red lights at night in either Sao Paulo or Rio; if there's no traffic coming the other way, you drive on.

However, none of these facts make the place a ****hole. Making such comments - and then inferring that both Venezuela and South Africa are 'uncivilised' - indicate you're an ignoramus. Inventing stats about the top two per cent just confirm that.

Put simply, you don't know what you're talking about. Best stay in Dundalk in case something happens to you elsewhere.

De Hipster

UngratefulWhelp wrote: »

Can you throw up some of these stats? I assume they're on a per capita basis.

I've been to Brazil on several occasions. There's no doubt there is great poverty in certain sections of the country and its major cities. Nor is there any doubt about its violent crime problem. Interlagos lies right beside a favela, which would account for the attempted carjacking. It is also true that it's not wise to stop at red lights at night in either Sao Paulo or Rio; if there's no traffic coming the other way, you drive on.

However, none of these facts make the place a ****hole. Making such comments - and then inferring that both Venezuela and South Africa are 'uncivilised' - indicate you're an ignoramus. Inventing stats about the top two per cent just confirm that.

Put simply, you don't know what you're talking about. Best stay in Dundalk in case something happens to you elsewhere.

...eh, this is Motorsport related how exactly?!

amacachi

UngratefulWhelp wrote: »

Can you throw up some of these stats? I assume they're on a per capita basis.

I've been to Brazil on several occasions. There's no doubt there is great poverty in certain sections of the country and its major cities. Nor is there any doubt about its violent crime problem. Interlagos lies right beside a favela, which would account for the attempted carjacking. It is also true that it's not wise to stop at red lights at night in either Sao Paulo or Rio; if there's no traffic coming the other way, you drive on.

However, none of these facts make the place a ****hole. Making such comments - and then inferring that both Venezuela and South Africa are 'uncivilised' - indicate you're an ignoramus. Inventing stats about the top two per cent just confirm that.

Put simply, you don't know what you're talking about. Best stay in Dundalk in case something happens to you elsewhere.

Welcome to the internet, maybe you should try something called Google. It's quite a useful tool and would've answered your question much quicker than typing out that message you did.
Oh look, here's a list of countries by murder rate! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homicide_rate
Oh! Here's a map representing income inequality. Hint: higher numbers are worse. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gini_Coefficient_World_CIA_Report_2009.png

UngratefulWhelp

amacachi wrote: »

Welcome to the internet, maybe you should try something called Google. It's quite a useful tool and would've answered your question much quicker than typing out that message you did.
Oh look, here's a list of countries by murder rate! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homicide_rate
Oh! Here's a map representing income inequality. Hint: higher numbers are worse. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gini_Coefficient_World_CIA_Report_2009.png

None of which address the initial points I put to you.

There was a time when foreigners - and even some southerners - were afraid of their shyte to visit the North, convinced they were going to die in a bomb blast if they set foot in the place. Anyone who did quickly learned that wasn't the case.

You're equally ignorant, but unfortunately content to wallow in it, convincing yourself instead that you know everything from reading a few stats. I doubt you'd have the balls to make such remarks about Brazil in the company of one its natives either, though with such an attitude, you'll probably never meet one.

But as the other poster above remarked, none of this has anything to do with motorsport. If you're interested in continuing this conversation, PM me.

thewheel2.0

UngratefulWhelp wrote: »

You're equally ignorant,

Wow 18 posts in and your causing arguments it doesn't bode well for you on this site. Take a deep breath mate!:pac:

amacachi

UngratefulWhelp wrote: »

None of which address the initial points I put to you.

There was a time when foreigners - and even some southerners - were afraid of their shyte to visit the North, convinced they were going to die in a bomb blast if they set foot in the place. Anyone who did quickly learned that wasn't the case.

You're equally ignorant, but unfortunately content to wallow in it, convincing yourself instead that you know everything from reading a few stats. I doubt you'd have the balls to make such remarks about Brazil in the company of one its natives either, though with such an attitude, you'll probably never meet one.

But as the other poster above remarked, none of this has anything to do with motorsport. If you're interested in continuing this conversation, PM me.

I have spoken to some and they're sound, as generally people who can afford to leave their home country are. It was an off-the-cuff remark about a country that has serious social problems which I believe I've provided some evidence for. Sure, like South Africa if you keep to the "right" places you'll have a lovely time in the great weather they have and most likely be safe but it's another thing with the areas where the police are afraid to go to.

It's funny how even the F1 teams saw the need to have police drivers and extra security in Brazil, but hey, I suppose they're just believing the same things I am.

PJTierney

I heard there was a race this weekend as well as a scene from a Hollywood movie?

(after lap 17 it was dull to be honest..)

EvilMonkey

Here's what Bernie had to say
http://www.theage.com.au/sport/motorsport/bernie-ecclestone-implies-jenson-button-is-not-too-bright-after-his-escape-from-robbers-20101108-17jdv.html

I guess he is not happy with the negative publicity and media blowing this out of proportion.

De Hipster

...and Jackie Stewart has done the tartan-hat wearing drunken uncle in the corner comment with: "Button attack possibly kidnap attempt"

...unless, of course he knows something!

G-Money

Never been to Brazil myself and while I'd be curious as to what it would be like, the stories you hear about crime really put me off to be honest, or Sao Paolo and Rio at least. I know a guy from Brazil and I remember him telling me about someone with a gun approaching his parents. From what I remember, he said the crime was quite bad.

frostie500

EvilMonkey wrote: »

Here's what Bernie had to say

I guess he is not happy with the negative publicity and media blowing this out of proportion.

Saw this on autosport's site: