Ex-Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone was questioned by authorities in Portugal after importing a firearm into the country on his private plane without the correct documentation.
Portuguese media reported police discovered the shotgun during a routine check at the Tires airfield near Cascais.
Speaking to Reuters, Ecclestone said the firearm was brought in from Switzerland for clay pigeon shooting.
“All that happened is that I took a gun that I’ve been using in Switzerland for clay pigeon shooting into the country to do some clay pigeon shooting in Portugal at a place where they had this weekend an exhibition thing going on,” he said.
Ecclestone’s wife, Fabiana – who is the FIA Vice President for Sport in South America – travelled with the 95-year-old.
She later went to nearby Lisbon accompanied by a customs official to surrender the firearm.
ESPN reported that Ecclestone described the incident as “nonsense”, saying the customs officials finally offered a solution for him to apply for a temporary import of the firearm and to pay a duty on it.
“Well we’d better do that,” he said.
This is not the first time Ecclestone has been caught in possession of a firearm without the correct documentation.
In 2022, Brazilian authorities detained the Brit for carrying an unregistered handgun on a flight to Switzerland.
