FORMER F1 BOSS BERNIE ECCLESTONE ARRESTED IN PORTUGAL
Former Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has reportedly been arrested in Portugal after police discovered a shotgun aboard his private jet at an airport near Lisbon.
The 95-year-old Briton was reportedly stopped during a police inspection of his aircraft at Tires Aerodrome after arriving from Switzerland. The discovery led to his detention over the firearm and the documentation required to bring it into Portugal.
Ecclestone later described the experience as “wall-to-wall aggravation”, insisting that the shotgun was being transported for clay-pigeon shooting and that it was legally owned.
ECCLESTONE SAYS THE GUN WAS FOR SPORTING USE
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Ecclestone explained that he was transporting the shotgun from Switzerland to Portugal and claimed that his firearms at home are licensed.
He said customs checks had initially caused no problems before police subsequently searched his luggage and discovered the weapon. Ecclestone reportedly did not have the documentation Portuguese authorities expected him to carry for the firearm.
According to Ecclestone, his wife Fabiana went to Lisbon to deal with the matter, including potentially surrendering the gun or completing whatever requirements were necessary to resolve the situation.
IT IS NOT ECCLESTONE’S FIRST GUN-RELATED ARREST
The incident is particularly notable because it is reportedly the second time in four years that Ecclestone has faced arrest involving a firearm.
In 2022, Brazilian authorities arrested Ecclestone and released him on bail after he was found with a gun-related issue while attempting to board a flight in Brazil.
The latest incident therefore adds another unusual chapter to the life of one of Formula 1’s most influential figures.
ECCLESTONE’S EXTRAORDINARY F1 LEGACY
Ecclestone transformed Formula 1 during his decades at the helm, becoming one of the most powerful figures in international motorsport.
He effectively ran the commercial side of F1 from the late 1970s until 2017, when Liberty Media completed its takeover and he was removed from his leadership position.
During that period, Formula 1 evolved from a collection of European races into a global sporting and commercial powerhouse. Ecclestone played a central role in securing television deals, promoting Grands Prix and negotiating the commercial agreements that helped shape the modern championship.
THE LEGAL CONTROVERSIES HAVE CONTINUED
Ecclestone’s post-F1 life has also included significant legal controversy. In 2023, he pleaded guilty to fraud after failing to declare more than £400 million held in a Singapore trust when questioned by UK tax authorities.
He received a 17-month prison sentence that was suspended for two years after agreeing to a substantial civil settlement.
The latest Portugal incident is separate from that case and concerns the possession and transportation of a firearm.
For now, Ecclestone says the matter can be resolved through the appropriate Portuguese procedures. But at 95, the former F1 chief continues to make headlines long after leaving the sport’s top job — and this latest episode has once again placed his extraordinary life under the spotlight.
