Former Formula 1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has refuted claims that he was arrested at a Portuguese airport on Monday, confirming instead that he was stopped by authorities over a firearm he intended to use for clay pigeon shooting.
Ecclestone, 95, told the Press Association that he was detained and questioned by four police officers and customs officials at the Tires Aerodrome in Cascais upon his arrival from Switzerland. He described the interaction as cooperative, stating that the officers were “very helpful” during the approximately one-hour inquiry.
The nine-time World Cup-winning businessman explained that he had to surrender the weapon because he lacked the necessary documentation to legally import it into the country. Despite previously transporting the shotgun from England to Switzerland without issue—relying on his familiarity with airport staff—he acknowledged the regulatory gap upon landing in Portugal.
“I was going to take part in a clay pigeon shooting competition in Portugal,” Ecclestone said. “I went to see the police and said, ‘What can I do for you?’ And they said, ‘We would like some information on this gun you brought in.'”
This event echoes a similar incident in 2022, when Ecclestone was arrested in Brazil for illegally carrying a gun while boarding a private plane to Switzerland. At that time, he was fined 6,000 Brazilian reals, approximately £1,000, by local authorities.
Ecclestone, who led Formula 1 for nearly four decades before departing in 2017 following Liberty Media’s takeover of the sport, emphasized that no formal charges or arrest occurred during the recent Portuguese incident.
Wait, he traveled from England to Switzerland with the gun fine, but Portugal? Typical EU hassle. What happened in Brazil?
Honestly, the bureaucracy around traveling with sporting equipment is just excessive. Poor paperwork for a simple hobby.