Ex-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone detained at Portuguese airport for carrying shotgun

Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, aged 95, was apprehended at a Portuguese airport on Monday for carrying a shotgun without a permit. Ecclestone, who arrived at Tires Airport near Lisbon, admitted to bringing the firearm from Switzerland for the purpose of pigeon shooting. Upon arrival, officers from the Portuguese Public Security Police airport division discovered the shotgun and informed him that he lacked the necessary documentation, a blue book required for firearm possession.

Ecclestone stated to the Daily Mail that he did not possess any documents, including the blue book, and it took an extended period before the situation was resolved. Despite the initial detainment, Ecclestone was eventually released. Ecclestone served as the chief executive of Formula 1 from 1987 to 2017 and currently splits his time between homes in Switzerland and Portugal.

This incident is not Ecclestone's first run-in with airport authorities for carrying weapons; in May 2022, he was detained at Viracopos Airport in Brazil after police found a .32-caliber pistol on him. In that case, he was fined but eventually allowed to leave without further issues. As a marketing force behind Formula 1 since the late 1970s, Ecclestone controlled the series until his retirement, attending races to this day.