British Formula 1 racer Jenson Button was an 'also ran' till the beginning of this season. Except in Shanghai (where he came third) he has come first in all the 2009 F1 races held so far.
A May 24, 2009 file photo of Button indicating five, the number of races he has won this season, after winning the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at the Monaco racetrack.
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Button's debut at Formula 1 was way back in 2000 while he filled in for Alessandro Zanardi of BMW Williams. Till 2006 his performance at the track was nothing home to write about as his first pole position was at the 2004 San Marino Grand Prix and a podium finish (third position) in 2005 German GP.
A file photo of Button.
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His first ever grand prix win came in 2006 in Hungary under the Honda banner - it was Button's 113th Grand Prix start of his career. Race favourites Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikonnen got bogged down in separate crashes.
A Aug.6, 2006 file photo of Jenson Button crossing the finish line to win the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix at in Budapest.
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Jenson Button, left, and Germany's Sauber BMW driver Nick Heidfeld, right, spray champagne during the winner ceremony of the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring in Budapest on Aug.6, 2006.
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Though he had a lacklustre outing on the race track his love life was moving on the fast lane and it was often said that Button had more women than points in Formula 1! His first love was pop singer Louise Griffith and got engaged in 2003. But he broke off the engagement few months before the marriage in 2005.
A file photo of them together.
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Later he was rumoured to be having an affair with athlete Emma Davis and partygirl Beverley Bloom (in picture), but he soon got back together with old flame Louise - though that too was short-lived.
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Button then got involved with British model Florence Brudenell-Bruce. The relationship with this art-student-turned-model did rub a few of the rougher edges off the footloose driver as the couple, during their F1 travels, were spending more time in art galleries than nightclubs.
An April 8, 2007 file photo of them together during the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix at the Sepang Circuit in Kuala Lumpur.
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By 2009 Jenson Button's career as well as love life was in pits as he had no girl friend and his Formula 1 race seat for the 2009 season was in danger. In a couple of months everything underwent a sea change as he began enjoying unprecedented success on the race track and started dating Jessica Michibata - a Japanese lingerie model.
A May 23, 2009 file photo of Jenson Button with Michibata following qualifying for the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at the Monte Carlo Circuit.
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File photo of Jessica Michibata wearing Peach John 2007 Collection.
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The turn of 2009 saw his team owner Honda selling the operations to Brawn GP, headed by the company's former technical director Ross Brawn. The new owners retained the existing team of drivers - the other person being Rubens Barrichello of Brazil.
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