Bernie Ecclestone, F1 Boss, 'Agrees' With Vladimir Putin's Gay Rights Policy

Ecclestone: '90% Of The World Would Agree With Putin On Gay Rights'
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Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone "completely agrees" with Russia president Vladimir Putin's policy towards homosexuality and believes "90% of the world" do as well.

Ecclestone, who won a High Court battle with German media company Constantin Medien on Thursday, aired his support for Putin's government's anti-gay legislation which prohibits spreading so-called "gay" propaganda to minors.

Recently introduced, it has prompted outrage around the world before - and during - the Sochi Winter Olympics.

But Ecclestone told CNN: "He [Putin] hasn't said he doesn't agree [with homosexuality] just that he doesn't want these things publicised to an audience under the age of 18. I completely agree with those sentiments and if you took a world census you'd find 90% of the world agree with it as well.”

Ecclestone, 83, added: "I've great admiration for him and his courage to say what he says…[It] may upset a few people but that's how the world is. It's how he sees [the world] and I think he's completely right."

The F1 boss is not stranger to controversy. A couple of years ago at the Bahrain GP, whilst pro-democracy protests were being staged (and still are), Ecclestone told reporters who questioned whether or not a GP should be held: "Go to Syria and write about those things there because it's more important than here."

Formula 1 will host its first Russian Grand Prix at Sochi in October.

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