Sao Paulo authorities reportedly suspect that the attempted robbery or kidnapping involving Jenson Button’s entourage last Saturday was a hoax.
According to Tuttosport newspaper, based on a report in the Brazilian news weekly Epoca, the authorities are investigating the matter and have discovered irregularities in the story.
"Various elements do not add up," read the Italian report.
Among the discrepancies is that the off-duty policeman driver did not make an official report about the incident, and no calls to emergency phone numbers were made.
Epoca, suspecting that the incident was staged for publicity by the security team protecting Button, wrote: "What really happened?"
A spokesman for the security organisers of the Interlagos race said: "We have no hard data to say what happened, if it happened."