Jenson Button left unharmed following armed attack on his car in Brazil, says McLaren

**bjohnsonsmith** · 7 Nov 2010, 00:27 (Ref:2786072)

This was flashed up as breaking news on the BBC website. Otherwise no more information at present.

Scary stuff.

There's now a link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11704802

medius · 7 Nov 2010, 00:50 (Ref:2786080)

mclaren statement on the autosport site.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 7 Nov 2010, 01:08 (Ref:2786086)

Quote:

Originally Posted by medius

mclaren statement on the autosport site.

I'm having trouble accessing their site, could you post the link to McLaren's statement please? Thanks.

**GTRMagic** · 7 Nov 2010, 01:14 (Ref:2786088)

Link to Autosport Here

**bjohnsonsmith** · 7 Nov 2010, 01:44 (Ref:2786097)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Link to Autosport Here

Thanks. What is sort of ironic, is Button was interviewed on the BBC after qualifying today and recounted how last year, after he only managed to qualify 14th, two Brazillians called out to him and as he turned towards them they laughed at him.

Wims · 7 Nov 2010, 04:22 (Ref:2786134)

There's alot of crime in Brazil. I highly doubt that the attackers knew that one of the guys in the car was Jenson Button. They probably havent even heard of Jenson Button

parkingjedi · 7 Nov 2010, 09:47 (Ref:2786278)

Good excuse for Bernie to pull the pin on the Brazilian GP. I am sure I can get double the money else where.
The World Cup and the Olympics both going there soon? crazy.

GolddustMini · 7 Nov 2010, 10:27 (Ref:2786290)

it seems that mclaren security is not all its cracked up to be, remember in Oz when hamiltons car was hijacked by some wheelspinning yob just outside the circuit.....

oh hang on!

Pingguest · 7 Nov 2010, 10:54 (Ref:2786298)

Crime is a serious problem in Brazil. I wouldn't be surprised if they could lose their Grand Prix because of this.

Jamesy-18 · 7 Nov 2010, 11:23 (Ref:2786315)

Just the sort of headline the sport needed right now. There's always the idiots in the world who have to ruin it for everyone else, isn't there?

**Adam43** · 7 Nov 2010, 11:36 (Ref:2786320)

I don't see it as a headline that is negative for the Sport (assuming that is what you meant).

This happened to some people from the Toyota team a few years back too. There are many stories like this from Brazilian GP weekend. And some judge in Brazil wants to put Massa behind bars!

N.A-D.R · 7 Nov 2010, 12:31 (Ref:2786335)

Bernie wont dump the Brazilian GP. The market over there now is one of the top in the world.That will keep Bernie around for a while.

**Bononi** · 7 Nov 2010, 12:56 (Ref:2786339)

Aham... actually is all a bit of confusion ! They got to the wrong place where Vin Diesel is filming his next movie ! Crazy americans !

http://ego.globo.com/Gente/Noticias/...DO+SALGUE.html

**bella** · 7 Nov 2010, 13:24 (Ref:2786351)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamesy-18

Just the sort of headline the sport needed right now. There's always the idiots in the world who have to ruin it for everyone else, isn't there?

i hope when you're penniless and living on the streets in a cardboard box that you don't get that sort of judgement made about you. some people are just trying to survive. it doesn't make it right, but have a little compassion and understanding. for every professional criminal there's plenty who resort to crime to feed themselves and their families.

i don't see how it's going to affect the gp either. the "facilities" are already pretty shoddy by f1 standards yet they keep going there. this happens every year - will buxton on twitter has said some sauber mechanics were successfully mugged at the same spot, and some fom guys were robbed earlier in the week. di grassi also said on radio 5 he'd been mugged recently too as well. c'est la vie.

ralf fan · 7 Nov 2010, 14:11 (Ref:2786370)

Without knowing any of the facts I conclude that Bononi is the culprit and should be arrested.

**Bononi** · 7 Nov 2010, 14:38 (Ref:2786381)

That's right ! They're just a bunch of amateurs... Nothing happened, it was an armored car and the driver was a policeman expert in evasive tactics as I heard. Button and co. hardly saw any action, they saw tehy had guns but that was all about it. Better than go to a movies and see some fake action, it makes you value your life much more than anything else !

Hey you see, this only happens in Brazil, you don't get it anywhere else !

**Peter Mallett** · 7 Nov 2010, 15:59 (Ref:2786421)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bella

i hope when you're penniless and living on the streets in a cardboard box that you don't get that sort of judgement made about you. some people are just trying to survive. it doesn't make it right, but have a little compassion and understanding. for every professional criminal there's plenty who resort to crime to feed themselves and their families.

Ah yes,

Give a man a fish, he can eat for a day. Give him a gun and he can stop everyone else eating.

elspethhardie · 7 Nov 2010, 18:31 (Ref:2786551)

From Jenson's comments to BBC one of the other teams (can't remember who he said) actually got robbed and lost equipment. Just because it was lowly engineers it hasnt made press!

To have 2 hand guns and a "machine gun" according to JB I don't think they are poor criminals.

My sister in law lost her wedding ring and passport while sat at traffic lights in Sao Paulo a few years ago, thankfully he was a bit dopy and tried it with someone else at the same place and the police caught him and got her stuff back. She's a local so a crime of opertunity.

The gang probably know that the F1 crowd will have expensive items, drivers, teams and even fans - a great loaction to do a few quick robberies.

But remember it's not just Brazil, Karun Chandhok had his lap top stolen at the Italian GP.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 7 Nov 2010, 18:36 (Ref:2786557)

[QUOTE=elspethhardie;2786551]From Jenson's comments to BBC one of the other teams (can't remember who he said) actually got robbed and lost equipment. Just because it was lowly engineers it hasnt made press!QUOTE]

I heard that as well. I thought he said some of the Sauber team were robbed.

**Adam43** · 7 Nov 2010, 18:45 (Ref:2786564)

This year?
In previous years it was Toyota. James Allen mentioned it on telly and forgot to mention that everyone was alright, annoying as it could have been (and was) one of my friends caught up in that!

Probably not mentioned unless it is a driver nowadays because it is unusual.

Teretonga · 7 Nov 2010, 18:56 (Ref:2786579)

[QUOTE=bjohnsonsmith;2786557]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elspethhardie

From Jenson's comments to BBC one of the other teams (can't remember who he said) actually got robbed and lost equipment. Just because it was lowly engineers it hasnt made press!QUOTE]

I heard that as well. I thought he said some of the Sauber team were robbed.

Sauber team members ...they took two backbacks, phones, passports etc

Rubbish stuff for an armed robbery but guns are apparently easy to get in Brazil ........

**Bononi** · 7 Nov 2010, 19:51 (Ref:2786613)

Quote:

Originally Posted by elspethhardie

From Jenson's comments to BBC one of the other teams (can't remember who he said) actually got robbed and lost equipment. Just because it was lowly engineers it hasnt made press!

To have 2 hand guns and a "machine gun" according to JB I don't think they are poor criminals.

My sister in law lost her wedding ring and passport while sat at traffic lights in Sao Paulo a few years ago, thankfully he was a bit dopy and tried it with someone else at the same place and the police caught him and got her stuff back. She's a local so a crime of opertunity.

The gang probably know that the F1 crowd will have expensive items, drivers, teams and even fans - a great loaction to do a few quick robberies.

But remember it's not just Brazil, Karun Chandhok had his lap top stolen at the Italian GP.

Guns and "machine gun" are normal machinery, usually sponsored by druglords.

**Bononi** · 7 Nov 2010, 19:59 (Ref:2786619)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam43

This year?

I was surprised no one commented here so far ! Every year we have this kind of thing, same stories, same complaining. People just can't go there expecting the best of worlds everywhere, and they know exactly what they'll find and where... this is the biggest metropolis of the southern hemisphere, it's only 3x London.

**Bononi** · 7 Nov 2010, 20:02 (Ref:2786622)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teretonga

Rubbish stuff for an armed robbery but guns are apparently easy to get in Brazil ........

There aren't shops for that, this I can guarantee you, do you have them in your place ?

But I believe criminals anywhere in the world doesn't have trouble getting them... specially when there are people making profit out of it.

**Born Racer** · 7 Nov 2010, 20:08 (Ref:2786626)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bella

i hope when you're penniless and living on the streets in a cardboard box that you don't get that sort of judgement made about you. some people are just trying to survive. it doesn't make it right, but have a little compassion and understanding. for every professional criminal there's plenty who resort to crime to feed themselves and their families.

i don't see how it's going to affect the gp either. the "facilities" are already pretty shoddy by f1 standards yet they keep going there. this happens every year - will buxton on twitter has said some sauber mechanics were successfully mugged at the same spot, and some fom guys were robbed earlier in the week. di grassi also said on radio 5 he'd been mugged recently too as well. c'est la vie.

Strange thing to say to ask someone to have compassion. It wasn't like he made a particularly controversial statement. How about having compassion for the people who are equally poor but don't resort to that?

Sao Paolo is notoriously dangerous. Apparently Mexico City and Caracas are even worse.

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