Jenson Button almost locked out of fortified Brazilian Grand Prix

Jenson Button wanted more security at São Paulo for this year's Brazilian Grand Prix, after narrowly escaping from an attempted armed robbery here a year ago. But they tightened security so much that they would not even allow Button into the Interlagos circuit on Thursday. When asked about this year's beefed-up system he said: "It was good but they wouldn't let us in the front gate. They closed the tunnel and wouldn't let us in, so we were half an hour outside waiting to be let in. "We had to drive around and come across the circuit. I was there with Bruno Senna and a few other people. We were saying, like, 'We've got the FIA press conference, will you be paying our fine?' Eventually they let us go across the circuit and we got in. It was quite fun." Button was the reigning world champion when he came here last year and he had just left the track with his father, personal trainer and manager when his reinforced Mercedes was approached by robbers carrying machine guns and baseball bats. The police-trained driver – described as a "legend" by Button – used his avoidance skills to force his way through traffic to safety. "It's a pity that things do happen. But I think that just shows the divide in Brazil," Button said this week.