I generally don’t report on the private lives of F1 folk, unless it impacts on the sport, but I do feel very sorry for Bernie Ecclestone and his wife Fabiana. Kidnapping is a nasty business and we can only hope that the Brazilian police can solve the crime and rescue Fabiana’s mother, who was reportedly seized on Friday at her home in São Paulo. Oddly, on Saturday morning I happened to see Mr E arrive in Budapest with his police escort and thought it was rather odd that he stayed in the car for a long time on the phone. I figured it must be something pretty important for him to do that. It was also pretty odd that he took off on Saturday night and was not around for the start of the race (he doesn’t always stay until the end) on Sunday. With the benefit of hindsight, there were clues that something was going on, but one doesn’t generally include such things as kidnapping in one’s thought process. The news is not good for Brazil, as it prepares for the Olympic Games, underlining the image of the country as being a relatively dangerous place. I cannot say I’ve ever felt really threatened there, but then I’m not a billionaire and there is no reason anyone would want to kidnap me. At the moment no one is confirming the story, but clearly this is what is happening. There seems to be some kind of policy to avoid making any statements in such situations. There are, however, widespread reports that there is a demand for £28 million.
External forces are at work also elsewhere at the moment and this means that there are security fears for the upcoming German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, following the recent incidents in Germany.
In recent days 10 people have been killed and many more injured in separate gun, bomb, axe and machete attacks. Three were in Bavaria and one in Baden-Wurttemberg. These do not appear to be linked. They began on July 18 when an Afghan teenage refugee attacked passengers on a train with an axe and a knife. He was hot dead by police. Four days later an Iranian-German teenager killed nine people in Munich before shooting himself and two days after that there two separate attacks the first with a machete-wielding 21-year-old Syrian refugee who killed a woman and wounded five other people before being arrested. The same day another Syrian blew himself up outside a bar in Ansbach, after his application for refugee status was refused. Nonetheless, security at Hickenheim will be increased, particularly given the nature of the recent lorry attack in Nice. This is bad news for the race as it will probably affect the number of people wanting to attend. The race needs 60,000 spectators to break even.
In the racing world, the talk is all about the halo this week with a decision due on Thursday, while there are also rumours that Red Bull will not renew Daniil Kvyat’s contract because of poor results since he was demoted from Red Bull Racing to Scuderia Toro Rosso. Obviously, Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko never studied much psychology…
joeblogsf1 
It would have a been a nice gesture by RB to renew Kvyat’s contract, but it was something to be expected. His motivation is completely gone, and these rumours don’t help. A renewal would solve this as it would show RB still believes in him.
I think Germany will get the needed 60.000 people. It is relatively close to the Dutch border. A lot of people here in the Netherlands would like to see Max race.
After having seem Dutch Verstappen fans almost everywhere I looked at Hockenheim this weekend, I think you were right there Sjakie!
Joe,
Your comments about not feeling threatened in Brazil are very interesting, as it is a country we have never gone to because of the threat of mugging, hotel thefts etc. I am a very keen photographer and this forms a large part of my enjoyment of travel. I have used Leica cameras for the past 50 years but I do feel they can be a target, for the discerning mugger. My father was mugged in Spain in 1967 and the Leica he had had since 1939, was stolen. Does Peter Nygaard feel equally unthreatened carrying as he must, a lot of expensive camera gear, travelling from the hotel to the circuit? I would assume inside the circuit at Saõ Paulo, the security would be good.
I hope that the Police manage to resolve the kidnapping without any harm coming to Aparecida Schunck.
Wilson
I like Kvyat. he always seems like he’s full of wonder about the world he’s in. I thought he handled himself well when Seb tried to bully him in the drivers room. I haven’t seen any drives of his that make me think wow, but he’s seem decent enough and just appears to need the right environment, a bit like Frentzen, whom didn’t do much with a title winning Williams, but some how managed to fight for the title with a Jordan.
Bully, seriously? He was just saying “try to learn something”, and Kvyat obviously ignored the lesson, tough luck.
Brazil has always been dangerous. I recall stories of attempted kidnapping of two F1 drivers.
Sainz has been great in the Toro Rosso: Ferrari should have nailed Sainz for Kimi and James Key to replace JA. Kvyat may be as much to do with Gasly’s recent form: the Russian is clearly a talented driver and will have a fine career away from F1.
I sincerely hope this is resolved with no one getting hurt but I can’t help but wonder, in this day and age, how anyone could get away with banking a $28 million ransom.
And I recall a photo of Innis Ireland in Brazil triumphantly holding his ,(was it a Rolex?) expensive watch aloft with broken strap and sporting a huge smile along with a shiner and abrasions all over his boat race!
Kvyatt is being exceptionally badly treated, of that there is no question.
But, to be frank, Helmut Marko ( sorry, but I am wholly unable to grace his
name with the standard honorary title ) has a long history ( and a clear
directive from above ) to be utterly ruthless with Red Bull’s young drivers scheme.
Oh….Marko can claim his ice cold trigger hand has produced spectacular F1
results in the past….but at what appalling psychological cost to the growing list
of these very promising young guys whose F1 careers he is quite happy to destroy at a stroke.
I am not a particular Kvyatt fan. But anyone remotely interested recognises
his tremendous skills as a young F1 driver. Given the machinery he can
perform as well as the best in the mid-field. But recent events will have played
destructive havoc with his mindset. And we know who to blame for that
appalling situation, don’t we ?
Kvyat destroyed his career all by himself on a sunday in Sochi, nothng to do with Dr. Marko.
Rubbish
I cannot recall an opinion with which I have more completely agreed. Hand clapping emoticon.
Whilst I might not care for some of the business ethics and modus operandi of Mr E. everyone is entitled to safe life away from the sticky tentacles of crime. I would never wish any harm on him or his family. My thoughts are with his family for a speedy and safe resolution.
Remember that Jenson Button had some problems in Brazil a few years ago.
https://joesaward.wordpress.com/2010/11/07/button-under-attack-literally/
I recall that when Innes Ireland was doing GP reporting for Road & Track magazine he mentioned being mugged and roughed up to the point of having to go to hospital while in Brazil. I think Jonathan Palmer was also robbed on the beach there one year.
These people obviously found out who Bernie’s mother-in-law is and where she lives, hence the crime and exorbitant ransom demand.
This is all 25 years or more ago…
If I recall well, didn’t Rosberg once have all of his luggage stolen during one race weekend in Brazil as well?
Surely we mustn’t underrate Dr Marko as a psychologist — the button under the table, the ejection seat at the other end, and servants who know that they are there — how much more sophisticated does a fellow need to get?
How to get the best out of people is not only a carrot and stick business.
I thought that was Blofeld. Oh, wait, sorry.
Sounds to me like Germany is the really dangerous place, not Brazil…
That is plain silly
Nasty, I hope it works out OK.
I knew Bernie’s wife was younger than him, but reading the news story I see Bernie is old enough to be his own Mother-in-law’s father! Good grief.
I don’t often find myself feeling sorry for Bernie these days, when he has done so much to wreck F1. But when personal matters like this come along, that is entirely different, and I very much hope that his Wife gets her Mum back safe and sound. One can only say that at least the ransom would not be a problem for Bernie, but paying these things does not always guarantee a good outcome. Do hope it ends well, and i hope the thugs get caught afterwards.
Agreed. Obviously.
Brazilian numbers of murders per capita per year pale the average Sahib Mohammed in Baghdad or whereabouts. I was freaking born and raised there and i can testify is a relief for every citizen to get the hell out of there.
You can be killed by cops and marginals alike, left and right. The poorer the lower your life span. As it happens in some other places (america, fuck yeah) the darker the skin, the more your likelihood of spending a great time in jail for very petty crimes.
Drug overlords rule. They could run the country into pure desperation and fear if they wanted to (they did that in 2006 in Sao Paulo state, the brazil’s california).
Summing up: Extremely violent country with a fantastic grid of corrupt politicians (many are convicted fellows of many crimes, white collar or not).
Foreigners are normally unaware and or stupid/reckless as they go to places we’d never chance. The result is a lot of raping, stealing, mugging….kidnapping. The thing is that most of you don’t get access to all those wonderful news.
Just turn on daytime tv and wait for the blood to come off the screen.
Gawd, that place is for suckers. The return on investment we get there isn’t worth a few bullets rain. Rio de JAneiro has bullets rain. Pick the day of the week you want to see it. Normally it goes Sun through Saturday.
The place where Bernie’s much younger mother in law was kidnapped is famous for being so dangerous, but they would have nailed her anyways.
Good thing about brazil? How about its past in f-1 and football. We got zero nobel prizes, but who cares?? The girls are hot and we’re not in a hurry to pay your duties and bills.
You’ll not be getting a job with the tourist authority…
That’d be a shame, wouldn’t it? Actually not having nothing to do with any authority there is a certificate of happiness and mental sanity.
Now, Joe, you can talk to Livio Oricchio who’s from SP and knows the problems they (hooray, i’m out) have faced since 1500. I’m sure you know him. 500 plus GPs, and counting. If you have further questions you have my email address (yes, that’s real).
Gruessen von den bergen.
Brazil produces world class Formula One drivers, remember?
“Hickenheim” !
I love it ! I think they should make that change,
at least it won’t be on a map, so the ISIS chaps won’t find it…..
Re: Apple
It would appear they are in some financial problems of their own, with reduced revenue and profit. Perhaps they couldn’t afford to buy F1.
Revenues of $42.4bn marked a 15 per cent decline from the $49.6bn reported a year ago.
Net income of $7.8bn was down 27 per cent from $10.7bn in Q3 2015.
Shipments of new iPhones hit 40.4 million units, down 15 per cent. iPhone revenues of $24b were down 23 per cent on the year. This despite CEO Tim Cook declaring the iPhone SE a “very successful” launch where demand outpaced supply.
Mac revenues of $5.24bn were down 13 per cent, and shipments were down 11 per cent at 4.25 million units.
The iPad continued its downward slide in shipments with 9.95 million units, a 9 per cent drop in revenue. However, sales of higher-cost tablets led to revenues of $4.88bn, a 7 per cent gain on last year.
The “other products” category reported revenues of $2.2bn, down 16 per cent on the year. This category includes the Apple Watch and AppleTV.
Services revenue of $5.97bn was a 19 per cent gain on last year’s quarter.
China revenues fell 33 per cent – a particularly poor region for Apple last quarter. In the Americas revenue was down 11 per cent, while revenue in Europe fell 7 per cent.
The halo is garbage. If you want racing to be “safe” well, you’re asking for the impossible. If you introduce the halo, how long will it be before A Newey or someone puts a fairing or roof on it? Then we have just recreated the current ugly and stupid LMP1 cars. How is that sane?