General of Darkness
7th November 2010, 07:28 AM
Anyone who's been to Sao Paulo knows, that place makes Compton look like Disneyland.
Jenson Button Escapes Armed Gang In Brazil
3:12pm UK, Sunday November 07, 2010
Osman Baig and Graham Fitzgerald, Sky News Online
Formula One world champion Jenson Button has hailed his police driver as a "legend" after being confronted by an armed gang in Sao Paulo.
Button, his father John, manager Richard Goddard and trainer Mike Collier got away unharmed thanks to the driver's quick action.
He sped away in their armoured Mercedes, barging his way through the heavy traffic to escape the gunmen's clutches.
Button and his party were returning to their hotel on Saturday night after the final qualifying session for the Brazilian Grand Prix when the drama happened.
"We were going back from the track and were outside a shanty town and moving slowly on a busy road," Button, 30, said.
"I saw a dog come out, which was very cute. The next thing I saw was a man with a gun.
"I said 'isn't that a gun?' and as soon as I said that, the driver angled the car and floored it.
"That's when we saw six men, all of them brandishing machine guns.
"My driver was a legend. He bounced off about five cars. We were driving over the top of them. It was very scary."
The police driver of Jenson's vehicle reacted swiftly and, using avoidance techniques, rapidly forced his way through the traffic, taking Jenson and the other occupants of the car immediately away from any danger and back to their hotel.
Mr Goddard also praised the officer assigned to protect them at the request of Button's racing team McLaren.
They were fearful of an attack given the level of gun crime in Sao Paulo, one of South America's most violent cities.
"We were about three or four minutes away from the circuit when the incident took place," Mr Goddard said.
"You hear about these kind of things in Sao Paulo, and because they don't come home to roost, you don't think about them."
Jenson Button arrives at Interlagos for the Brazil Grand Prix
"We were very lucky to have a police driver looking after us because he got us out of what could have been quite a frightening situation."
A McLaren spokesperson said : "The police driver, using avoidance techniques, rapidly forced his way through the traffic, taking Jenson and the other occupants of the car immediately away from any danger."
The spokesperson added the Sao Paulo authorities would provide additional security for Button, team-mate Lewis Hamilton and other McLaren staff when they returned to the Interlagos circuit for the race.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/F1-Racing-Driver-Jenson-Button-Escapes-Unharmed-After-Armed-Men-Attack-His-Car-In-Brazil/Article/201011115796464?lpos=World_News_News_Your_Way_Regi on_4&lid=NewsYourWay_ARTICLE_15796464_F1_Racing_Driver_ Jenson_Button_Escapes_Unharmed_After_Armed_Men_Att ack_His_Car_In_Brazil
Jenson Button Escapes Armed Gang In Brazil
3:12pm UK, Sunday November 07, 2010
Osman Baig and Graham Fitzgerald, Sky News Online
Formula One world champion Jenson Button has hailed his police driver as a "legend" after being confronted by an armed gang in Sao Paulo.
Button, his father John, manager Richard Goddard and trainer Mike Collier got away unharmed thanks to the driver's quick action.
He sped away in their armoured Mercedes, barging his way through the heavy traffic to escape the gunmen's clutches.
Button and his party were returning to their hotel on Saturday night after the final qualifying session for the Brazilian Grand Prix when the drama happened.
"We were going back from the track and were outside a shanty town and moving slowly on a busy road," Button, 30, said.
"I saw a dog come out, which was very cute. The next thing I saw was a man with a gun.
"I said 'isn't that a gun?' and as soon as I said that, the driver angled the car and floored it.
"That's when we saw six men, all of them brandishing machine guns.
"My driver was a legend. He bounced off about five cars. We were driving over the top of them. It was very scary."
The police driver of Jenson's vehicle reacted swiftly and, using avoidance techniques, rapidly forced his way through the traffic, taking Jenson and the other occupants of the car immediately away from any danger and back to their hotel.
Mr Goddard also praised the officer assigned to protect them at the request of Button's racing team McLaren.
They were fearful of an attack given the level of gun crime in Sao Paulo, one of South America's most violent cities.
"We were about three or four minutes away from the circuit when the incident took place," Mr Goddard said.
"You hear about these kind of things in Sao Paulo, and because they don't come home to roost, you don't think about them."
Jenson Button arrives at Interlagos for the Brazil Grand Prix
"We were very lucky to have a police driver looking after us because he got us out of what could have been quite a frightening situation."
A McLaren spokesperson said : "The police driver, using avoidance techniques, rapidly forced his way through the traffic, taking Jenson and the other occupants of the car immediately away from any danger."
The spokesperson added the Sao Paulo authorities would provide additional security for Button, team-mate Lewis Hamilton and other McLaren staff when they returned to the Interlagos circuit for the race.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/F1-Racing-Driver-Jenson-Button-Escapes-Unharmed-After-Armed-Men-Attack-His-Car-In-Brazil/Article/201011115796464?lpos=World_News_News_Your_Way_Regi on_4&lid=NewsYourWay_ARTICLE_15796464_F1_Racing_Driver_ Jenson_Button_Escapes_Unharmed_After_Armed_Men_Att ack_His_Car_In_Brazil