The English driver skipped out of his uncompetitive BAR-Honda in the Nurburgring paddock and recalled almost feeling the wind of Kimi Raikkonen's out-of-control McLaren.
"There wasn't time to take avoiding action," said the 25-year-old. "I saw him coming in my mirrors and just went 'wow' - he was so close."
BAR principal Nick Fry outlined what Button probably didn't want to face. "If they had collided," he speculated, "it would have hurt."
Disaster averted, Brackley-based BAR can now focus on the real problem; figuring out why the '007' car - banned for two races after Imola - was so slow on return.
Sporting director Gil de Ferran revealed that the team will this week conduct a 'double' test prior to Montreal at Silverstone and Monza.
The former Indy 500 winner insisted: "We clearly need to find a solution before the cars leave for North America." -GMM