Following rules does not seem to be one of the virtues of former Formula One ace David Coulthard, who defied the speed limits and zoomed across the Mumbai sea-bridge at a breakneck speed of 260km per hour.
"I have been driving over 200kmph all my life. It is difficult to keep my speed below 100kmph," he said after the drive.
"Apparently there is a speed-limit.. about 50 or 100kms. But I do not intend to drive in India again. So instead I plan to go flat out," the British driver quipped on Saturday.
Much to the disappointment of F1 lovers in Mumbai, MSRDC, which owns the bridge, had asked Coulthard not to drive at over 100kmph, the permissible speed limit on the recently inaugurated Bandra-Worli sea-link.
The much-awaited and breath-taking zip across the 5.6-kilometre sea-link lasted barely a few minutes, but was more than enough for Coulthard to capture the imagination of fans witnessing the rare moment.
Fans were left amazed at the speed at which Coulthard vanished from their sights in a matter of seconds to vroom across the sea-link.
DC, as he is affectionately known, also enthralled people with a couple of 360 degree spins. But the over heating of the engine restricted him from repeating the performance.
"Unfortunately, the run was short. I'd have liked to drive a little more but F1 cars are fragile as they are designed for special circuits," he said.
"I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth the bridge was. It is a good piece of engineering," Coulthard said.
Asked about his impression of India, the racer said that he was amazed at the tolerance of the country.
"I have seen cars, bicycles, cycles all coexist in the same place. I am amazed at how tolerant the society in India is," he said.
Coulthard claimed that it was during this trip that he had used a car horn for the first time.
"I've never heard so many vehicles honking at the same time at one place. This was probably the first time that I've used a horn," he said.
The former F1 ace also had a few words of encouragement for aspiring racers in India.
"You already have your own F1 team. I would be happy if you would have your own F1 circuit and can't see why you can't have a F1 world champion in the near future," he said.
