Jenson Button
McLaren Formula One driver Jenson Button of Britain attends a news conference ahead of the Chinese F1 Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit April 9, 2015. REUTERS/Aly Song REUTERS/Aly Song

Jenson Button tries not to remind himself about the traumatic burglary that he and his wife, Jessica Michibata, experienced while vacationing in St. Tropez. Instead, the McLaren driver has shifted his focus on the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix 2014.

Button has recently opened up about the burglary for the first time to Sky Sports. As frightening as it can be, the 2009 F1 champion said he wants to move forward after the unfortunate event. He said that he hopes that authorities will take every step as they can to deter burglars and prevent the incident from happening again not only to him but also to other people.

The 35-year-old British racer revealed that they were happy with the compassion that they received from their followers on social media, adding that the support was even more overwhelming than winning the F1 world championship. Button said that they want to forget about the incident, but at the same time be “cautious.” He added that the most important thing is that nothing bad happened to him and his wife.

“ A lot of people go through horrible experiences in life and it is definitely not one that I would wish upon anyone,” Button said. “So we are all over it now, obviously it is always in the back of your mind and we are a little bit cautious in certain things that we do now, but we are all here, we are all safe and that is the most important thing."

During F1’s summer break, Button and Michibata stayed in a rented French Villa that was broken into while they slept. It has been reported that they have been gassed so that the perpetrators can burgle the house. A number of valuable items including Michibata’s expensive engagement ring was stolen.

Meanwhile, Button’s McLaren-Honda team has been given with engine penalties ahead of Sunday’s main race at the Spa-Francorchamps, reported Autosport. The Japanese engine manufacturer has upgraded their engines to match Ferrari’s power. It is anticipated that Button will take a five-place grid drop while teammate, Fernando Alonso, is likely to receive a 10-place drop. Honda has reportedly made more changes with their MP430s and the drivers’ penalties will be finalised after the team’s first practice session at Spa.

Contact the writer at feedback@ibtimes.com.au, or let us know what you think below.