Bernie Ecclestone Denies Arrest After Shotgun Stopped at Portugal Airport

Former Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has denied that he was arrested after arriving at an airport in Portugal with a shotgun. BBC Sport reported that the 95-year-old acknowledged being stopped and questioned at Tires Aerodrome in Cascais on Monday, but rejected accounts describing the encounter as an arrest.

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Ecclestone said he had flown from Switzerland and brought the weapon to Portugal because he planned to take part in a clay pigeon shooting competition. According to the BBC report, which cited his comments to the Press Association, the problem arose because he did not possess the documentation needed to import the shotgun correctly.

Four police officers and customs officials questioned Ecclestone after his arrival, he said. The process lasted about an hour, and he was required to hand over the weapon. His account establishes that the shotgun was retained by the authorities, while leaving the precise official classification of the encounter disputed.

Ecclestone described the Portuguese police as helpful and said the airport officials knew him well. He indicated that he had previously transported the same shotgun from England to Switzerland and had not expected an issue when continuing to Portugal. The missing import papers nevertheless prevented him from keeping the weapon on arrival.

The incident is separate from Ecclestone's earlier firearms case in Brazil. In 2022, he was arrested there for carrying a gun illegally while preparing to board a private aircraft bound for Switzerland. BBC Sport reported that Brazilian authorities ordered him to pay 6,000 Brazilian reals, an amount then given as approximately £1,000.

Ecclestone ran Formula 1 for nearly four decades before leaving that role in 2017, following Liberty Media's takeover of the sport. The latest airport episode does not involve a race or team matter, but it concerns one of the sport's most prominent former executives. On the facts currently reported, Ecclestone confirms the questioning and surrender of the shotgun but maintains that Portuguese authorities did not arrest him.