Sao Paulo: Formula One world champion Jenson Button escaped unhurt after an attempted armed attack on his car as he left the Brazilian Grand Prix circuit on Saturday, his McLaren team said.
"On Saturday evening on the way back from the Interlagos circuit to Morumbi (Sao Paulo), armed would-be assailants made an attempt to approach the car that was carrying Jenson Button," they said in a statement.
"Neither Jenson nor the other occupants of the car were hurt," it added.
McLaren said Button was quickly driven away from danger by an armed policeman trained in avoidance techniques who was at the wheel of the bullet-proof Mercedes provided by the team.
"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."
Button's father John, his manager Richard Goddard and physiotherapist Mike Collier were also in the car.
Big weapon
Goddard told Reuters that they had left the circuit at 1900 local (2100 GMT) and were sitting in traffic when they spotted a group of men running out of a building to their right.
"I noticed one of the guys had a big truncheon and then someone shouted 'One of them has got a gun'," he said. "And another one seemed to have a much bigger weapon.
"The guy pulled the gun out and someone else pulled an even bigger one out and they came running over towards the car. We told the driver 'Go, Go, Go'."
The driver had hit several other cars as he forced his way through the traffic to safety, Goddard said.
"Thankfully the Merc was bloody strong and we had a police driver. If we hadn't it would have been potentially a very nasty situation ... they certainly weren't carrying handguns.
"I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't got the car out."
McLaren said the Sao Paulo authorities would be providing additional security to transfer the drivers and other senior team personnel to the circuit for Sunday's penultimate race of the season.
Although the area around Interlagos has become more built up over the years there are still favelas, or shanty towns, in the vicinity while Sao Paulo is a sprawling city with one of the highest crime rates in South America.
Teams are always on the watch for attempted armed attacks on members leaving the circuit after previous incidents over the years despite a strong police presence.
Members of the Toyota team were ambushed at gunpoint four years ago as they left the circuit, with shots fired by a gang of youths who also tried to kick in their car windows. None suffered any injury.
Goddard said he had noticed a group of about 70 policemen being talked to by an officer less than 200 metres further up the hill from the incident.
Button had earlier qualified 11th on the starting grid, with his four title rivals well ahead of him and his hopes of retaining the title are likely to be extinguished on Sunday.
"Before, there was a sliver of hope of retaining the championship but now it's gone, it's basically impossible," the Briton had told reporters.
