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Mini Countryman - Jenson Button wows the crowds at F1 demo in Manchester

Published by Christine

Jenson Button wows the crowds at F1 demo in Manchester
Chris Brown

Jenson Button made a quick visit to the streets of Manchester City Centre on Monday, following his podium finish at the Belgian Grand Prix over the weekend. The demonstration was part of a three-day Vodafone event, with an F1 simulator, pit stop challenge, and helmet exhibition.

Button drove the McLaren demo car through Deansgate, letting the crowds hear, see and smell what it's like to be close to an F1 car in action. Then two lucky winners were driven by the Brit through the streets in the MP4-12C sportscar.

Jenson was thrilled about bringing F1 to the fans, allowing some to pose with his Spa trophy - which had flown back with him in time for the appearance. He said: “I think Vodafone VIP has done a brilliant job to make this happen – it can’t have been easy – but to see the looks on people’s faces when I opened up the throttle, was a fantastic moment. It is all about giving something back to the fans and just unleashing the awesome power of a Formula 1 car. It was a lot of fun.”