With British racing driver Jenson Button (29) racing into a commanding lead after eight races of the Formula One season, fashion model Michibata Jessica (24) may have decided she needs to stake her claim now. As Japan Zone reported back in January, the pair have been a romantic item for a few months now. But in recent interviews, Michibata has started talking about a possible proposal should Button manage to win the F1 championship. With six wins out of eight races, he is certainly the current odds-on favorite to take the crown from fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton, possibly well before the last race in Abu Dhabi on November 1. Michibata told one English magazine, “He has told me he wants to get married – he said he is the marrying type. If Jenson wins the title in November we will celebrate a lot and it will be by him getting down on one knee.” She added, “I know he is the one for me and he has told me I am the one for him. I hope he means it.” Things looked a lot different for both stars last year. Michibata was romantically linked with DJ and musician Ohsawa Shinichi (41) in the summer but they later split up. Button was with the Honda racing team last year, and after the Japanese maker withdrew as sponsor, it was bought out and renamed Brawn GP. Michibata, whose father is half-Argentine, half-Italian, and whose mother is Japanese, has been modeling since she was a child, though the western media has gone a bit overboard in describing her as a “supermodel.” She speaks fluent English and Japanese, as well as Spanish and some Italian. In terms of role models, the couple can look to French former F1 racer Jean Alesi (44) and the gorgeous actress Goto Kumiko (34). They married in the mid-90s and now live an idyllic life in France with their four children. Though popular, Alesi only ever won a single F1 race and was never a championship contender.
Earlier story:
The Model and the Speed Racer (Jan 30, 2009)