The ex-head of Formula 1, Bernie Ecclestone, 95, was detained at Tires Aerodrome in Cascais, on the outskirts of Lisbon, after being found with a shotgun as he disembarked from his private jet. According to the Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manhã, the arrest occurred on Monday (7) during a routine operation by the Airport Division of the Public Security Police (PSP).
As of now, it is not clear whether the British magnate will be formally charged or brought before a judge. The PSP had not issued an official statement about the case.
Similar incident in Brazil
The detention in Portugal comes four years after Ecclestone was intercepted in Brazil for illegal possession of a firearm. In 2022, he was detained at Viracopos airport, in Campinas, while preparing to board a private jet bound for Switzerland.
On that occasion, Ecclestone admitted that the weapon was in his luggage, but stated that he did not know it had been placed there. After paying bail, he was released to continue his journey. Later, he described the episode as a — “silly and insignificant incident” — and said the situation irritated him.
The businessman also stated that years earlier, in Brazil, he had bought a LW Seecamp .32 caliber pistol, unloaded, and kept it as a means of deterrence against possible robbers.
Ecclestone, who helped bring Formula 1 back to Portugal in 1984, currently divides his time between residences in Switzerland, Portugal and Brazil.
