F1 driver Coulthard gets £20,000 speeding fine
David Coulthard has caused controversy by speeding during an F1 demonstration drive in Mumbai, India. The former F1 driver, who competed with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull during his long career, was demonstrating a Red Bull F1 car over the Rajiv Ghandi Sea Link bridge in Mumbai when he broke the 60mph speed limit. Despite the newly-built three-mile stretch of road being officially closed for the demonstration drive, local authorities demanded the speed limits were adhered to.
The highest speed limit on the bridge is 60mph, but in some places it's as low as 30mph. However, Coulthard ignored them during the demo drive and reached speeds as high as 160mph after being given the starting flag by special guest, Commissioner of Mumbai Police, D. Sivananda. The driver has since apologised to the authorities, but the company that organised the event will lose a £20,000 deposit that was imposed to insure against speeding violations.
Coulthard is said to be sorry for breaking the speed limit, though stated that he had spent his career driving at over 200mph. With no speedometer in the Red Bull F1 car the star had to judge his own speed, something he apparently didn't do too well. The high speed run was set up to celebrate the 2011 Indian Grand Prix and was watched by an estimated 50,000 spectators.
