Eric Clapton clocked at 216km/h
October 14, 2004
ERIC Clapton won't be driving in France for a while. Police said today (AEST) they clocked the rock star speeding down a highway at 216km/h and suspended his license.
Radar caught Clapton whizzing down a highway on Tuesday in his Porsche 911 Turbo at 86km/h above the speed limit, police said.
He was stopped near the town of Merceuil, south of Beaune in western France.
Police confiscated Clapton's British driver's license, suspending his right to drive in France.
Clapton, 59, a 16-time Grammy Award winner, took the bad news well, agreeing to a photo session with gendarmes.
After paying a 750-euro ($A1,280) fine, he then rolled away in his Porsche - this time in the passenger seat with his secretary behind the wheel, police said.
Clapton can still drive in Britain, but he will have to recover his license through a diplomatic route, police said. A court hearing, at which he need not be present, will determine the time Clapton's license is suspended in France.
In August, Clapton had imprints of his hands and signature installed in marble on the Sunset Boulevard "Rockwalk" in Los Angeles that honours musicians who have made a significant contribution to the history of music.