Bernie Ecclestone Questioned Over Undocumented Shotgun in Portugal

Bernie Ecclestone, the man who once ruled Formula One with an iron grip, spent part of his Monday being questioned by police at a small airfield outside Lisbon – this time over an undocumented shotgun.

The 95-year-old was detained at Tires Aerodrome in Cascais after customs officers carried out a routine inspection of his private jet and its passengers. During that check, authorities discovered a shotgun in his possession that was not properly documented, prompting officials to stop him for questioning and seize the weapon.

Under Portuguese procedure, anyone found carrying an undeclared firearm is made a formal defendant in criminal proceedings. Ecclestone now faces that process. What comes next for him in this case remains unclear.

He rejected reports that he had been arrested, insisting to PA Media that the authorities had been cooperative rather than confrontational. “No,” he said when asked if he had been arrested. “The police were very helpful and doing all they could to stop us from having to do what we had to do.”

Ecclestone then set out his version of events. He said he had travelled to Portugal to take part in a clay pigeon shooting competition, an invitation that came at short notice after his wife, Fabiana, met someone on a flight from Brazil to Portugal who mentioned the event. Ecclestone decided to join and opted to bring a shotgun he already owns.

“As I have got guns already in Switzerland, which have been imported properly, because we do a bit of clay pigeon shooting there, I brought the gun in with me,” he explained.

He described walking through customs at the aerodrome as he has done many times before, declaring nothing beyond “the usual personal things”. Once outside, he said, a member of his entourage told him the police wanted to see him.

Inside, officers asked him about “this gun you brought in”. Ecclestone said he did not even open the case, simply confirming it was a shotgun and explaining why he had it. The discussion quickly turned to paperwork.

According to Ecclestone, police asked for the “blue book” for the weapon – documentation he likened to a passport for the gun. He told them he had never heard of such a document, saying he had bought the shotgun in England and later taken it into Switzerland through what he described as normal channels.

The officers, he said, argued that he had attempted to import a firearm into Portugal without following the rules. Ecclestone insisted he had not tried to smuggle anything, pointing out that he had walked openly through customs.

The dispute then moved back to customs officials, who, according to Ecclestone, told him the gun would need to be surrendered in Lisbon. From there, they would determine whether he wanted to import it, temporarily or otherwise, with duties to be paid if he did. Ecclestone agreed to leave the weapon behind while the process is examined.

This is not the first time the former Formula 1 chief executive has run into trouble over a gun while travelling by air.

In May 2022, Brazilian authorities arrested him at Viracopos Airport in Campinas after an X-ray scan of his luggage revealed an undeclared LW Seecamp .32-calibre pistol. Ecclestone admitted owning the firearm but said he did not know it was in his bag. He posted bail at the airport and was allowed to continue his journey to Switzerland.

His links with Portugal have grown in recent years. His wife, Fabiana Flosi, has been associated with the purchase of a property about 15 miles west of Lisbon, reported to be the country’s largest private house sale at around £35m.

Ecclestone’s shadow still looms over Formula One. His involvement in the sport stretches back to the 1950s, first as a driver and businessman, then as a team owner and ultimately as the architect of F1’s commercial empire. He drove the negotiations that secured television rights, sponsorship deals and circuit agreements, turning grand prix racing from a niche pursuit into a global entertainment product.

His formal role ended in 2017 when Liberty Media took control of F1’s commercial rights, but his influence has never entirely faded. Even in semi-retirement, even at 95, Ecclestone continues to find his name on front pages – this time not for a deal in the paddock, but for a shotgun at a quiet aerodrome on the Portuguese coast.