Bernie Ecclestone Questioned at Portuguese Airport Over Shotgun

Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was stopped by police and customs officials after arriving in Portugal with a shotgun, according to BBC Sport. Ecclestone said the weapon was intended for a clay pigeon shooting competition, but he did not have the documents required to bring it into the country.

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The 95-year-old British businessman told the Press Association that four police officers and customs officials questioned him at Tires Aerodrome in Cascais on Monday after he arrived from Switzerland. He rejected reports that he had been arrested and said the Portuguese police had been helpful during the encounter.

Ecclestone said he surrendered the shotgun because he lacked the correct import paperwork. He explained that he had planned to take part in a clay pigeon shooting event in Portugal and had already transported the weapon from England to Switzerland before continuing his journey.

According to his account, Ecclestone had expected no difficulty on arrival because airport officials knew him well. Police nevertheless sought information about the gun and questioned him for approximately one hour. He then handed over the weapon after officials established that the required documentation was not in place.

The incident draws attention because of Ecclestone's long association with Formula 1. He ran the championship for nearly four decades before leaving its leadership in 2017, when Liberty Media completed its takeover of the sport. BBC Sport attributed the details of Monday's airport encounter to Ecclestone's comments to the Press Association.

It was not Ecclestone's first airport issue involving a firearm. BBC Sport reported that he was arrested in Brazil in 2022 for illegally carrying a gun while boarding a private plane bound for Switzerland. In that case, local authorities ordered him to pay 6,000 Brazilian reals, which the BBC valued at about £1,000. In Portugal, however, Ecclestone maintained that officials questioned him and took the shotgun but did not arrest him.