Bernie Ecclestone stopped in Portugal over shotgun on private jet
Former Formula 1 commercial chief Bernie Ecclestone was stopped at Tires Aerodrome near Cascais in Portugal after police discovered that he had brought a shotgun into the country on a private jet without the required documents.
Shotgun for clay pigeon shooting
In a conversation with TimesLIVE, the 95-year-old Ecclestone said that he had brought the weapon from Switzerland for clay pigeon shooting in Portugal. According to him, he planned to attend an event held over the weekend near Lisbon.
Ecclestone said he lacked the necessary document to bring in the shotgun, which he called a “blue book.” He also said that he arrived in Tires with his wife Fabiana, who is vice president for sport at Formula 1's governing body.
According to Ecclestone, he passed customs control, but police later asked about the weapon and its documents. He described the situation as “unnecessary hassle.”
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The weapon was handed over to authorities
Ultimately, Fabiana Ecclestone travelled to Lisbon accompanied by a customs officer to hand the shotgun over to the authorities. Ecclestone said he signed the documents required by officials.
Portuguese newspapers were the first to report the incident, citing police sources. According to their information, the shotgun was found during a routine inspection. Ecclestone, who previously ran Formula 1's commercial side, has a home in a resort area near Cascais.
In 2022, Ecclestone was briefly detained in Brazil over an unregistered small pistol while boarding a private jet to Switzerland. At the time, he admitted the weapon belonged to him but said he did not know it was in his luggage.
