Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was arrested earlier today at Tires airport, near Cascais, Portugal. During a routine check, authorities found a hunting rifle on board his private jet. The 95-year-old Brit was then unable to present the correct documents for transporting the weapon.
Read more Liam Lawson also at Spanish GP in Madrid teammate of Max Verstappen at Red Bull
Ecclestone arrived in Portugal from Switzerland with his Dassault Falcon 7X when his luggage was checked by Portuguese customs officers. The weapon was discovered during this check. According to the Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manhã, the former Formula 1 boss was then held at the airport for some time.
Ecclestone later confirmed to the British Daily Mail that he indeed had the rifle with him. He stated that he was transporting the weapon from Switzerland to Portugal ‘to shoot clay pigeons with it’. “It’s as simple as that,” said Ecclestone.
The Brit acknowledged that he did not have the required documentation with him. According to him, the weapons he keeps at his home in Switzerland are properly licensed. Ecclestone was delayed for a while due to the incident. According to him, the matter is ‘probably resolved’.
Read more Advice from Giedo van der Garde to Johnny Herbert: ‘Just let it go, man!’
Ecclestone previously in trouble
This is not the first time Bernie Ecclestone has had problems at an airport due to a firearm. In 2022, an unregistered pistol was found in his luggage at Viracopos airport near São Paulo, Brazil. Ecclestone stated at the time that the weapon was his, but that he did not know it was in his luggage. After paying a bail, he was allowed to continue his journey.
Ecclestone led the commercial side of Formula 1 for decades and became one of the most powerful figures in the sport’s history. After Liberty Media took over Formula 1, he stepped down as the top boss in early 2017. Nowadays, he mainly divides his time between Switzerland and Portugal. In Cascais, he owns a home together with his wife Fabiana Flosi.
Read more Fernando Alonso refocuses on F1 regulations: ‘Monza no longer Temple of Speed’
