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Viknesh Vijayenthiran

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Vik is an Editor at High Gear Media and contributor for a number of sites within the High Gear Media network. He was a co-founder of... More

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F1 Champ Jenson Button

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Reigning F1 champion Jenson Button is lucky to be alive thanks to the expert driving of his security driver following an incident that took place on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil this past weekend. Button, his father John, and several of his McLaren cohorts were stuck in traffic in an armored Mercedes-Benz B-Class when they noticed several men outside the vehicle approaching with guns.

Once notified, security driver/policeman Daniel Toni barraged his way through traffic, scraping lines of cars to successfully evade the armed gunmen. The incident took place on a three-lane highway near the notorious favelas shanty towns of Sao Paulo.

Button said he noticed at least six men approaching the vehicle, mostly with handguns but one with what appeared to be a machine gun.

Incidentally, this was just one of several similar incidents that have taken place duriong the Brazilian GP weekend despite the best efforts of race organizers to step up security. Around the same time a group of BMW Sauber team mechanics were stopped in their minibus and robbed at gunpoint, while the same fate was endured by a motorsports executive outside his hotel.

Button still managed to race the next day where he finished in fifth place. The race ended with a 1-2 Finish for Red Bull, with German youngster Sebastian Vettel taking top honors and Aussie Mark Webber coming in second.

[BBC]