David Coulthard says anti-Grand Prix Melburnians are selfish

by:
Adrian Ballantyne From:
News Limited Network February 12, 2013
11:34AM

FORMULA One great David Coulthard says Melburnians who don't support the Albert Park Grand Prix are 'small-minded' and 'selfish'.

Coulthard, who won the Australian Grand Prix twice during his 16-year Formula One career, has anti-GP campaigners in his sights and said those calling for the death of the annual race needed to learn to be tolerant.

"If people want to be small-minded and not look beyond their personal needs, then that's disappointing."

"It's a great race track within the Albert Park facility, and for the one week of inconvenience where people don't get the access, then I think they shouldn't be so selfish, quite frankly."

"There's lots of things that I don't particularly appreciate in life, but I don't go campaigning against it as I understand there's a lot of people that do like it."

"The people who put out the negativity and the people that go there and do their little protest, I wonder how they'd feel if I came and stood outside whatever sporting event they follow and put forward my rights to say 'I don't like them doing that, it annoys me, it upsets my feng shui' or whatever it is."

The Grand Prix has come under fire from local opposition groups every year since it moved to Melbourne in 1996.

Renewed calls for its demise came last month when it was revealed Victorians were paying more than $30 million a year for the right to host the event, under a secret deal with billionaire F1 owner Bernie Ecclestone.

But Coulthard, in the Grand Prix's 'Keeping Track' podcast, said paying to host the event was part and parcel of attracting world class sporting attractions.

"The license fee that has to be paid … nothing comes for nothing, and license fees get paid to other sporting events."

"It's a truly international event, Melbourne is already on the world map and it's a great city, but having the Grand Prix there doesn't do any harm to the local economy."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/motor-sport/david-coulthard-says-anti-grand-prix-melburnians-are-selfish/story-e6frfgb6-1226576080034