09/07/26 11:53:00
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09/07 11:42 CDT Ex-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone detained at Portuguese airport for
carrying shotgun
Ex-F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone detained at Portuguese airport for carrying shotgun
LISBON, Portugal (AP) --- Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was detained
at a Portuguese airport on Monday --- and released hours later --- for
possession of a firearm.
Ecclestone, 95, arrived at Tires Airport near Lisbon, where officers from the
Portuguese Public Security Police airport division found a shotgun in his
possession for which he lacked a permit.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Ecclestone admitted he brought the weapon
from Switzerland for pigeon shooting.
"They asked if I had a blue book, which is apparently the documentation you
need, and I told them I never travel with documents like that, any documents at
all practically," Ecclestone told the British newspaper. "They said they would
arrest me, but after what seemed like hours we sorted it out, but it has been
wall-to-wall aggravation."
Ecclestone was at the helm of F1 from 1987-2017, and divides his time between
his homes in Switzerland and Portugal.
This is not the first time he has run into trouble for carrying a weapon at an
airport. In May 2022 he was detained at Viracopos Airport in Brazil after
police found a .32-caliber pistol in his possession. On that occasion he had to
pay a fine and was able to leave without further issues.
Ecclestone gained a marketing grip on F1 in the late 1970s by selling its TV
rights. Four decades later, the British business magnate controlled the series
until his decision to step down. He continues to attend races.
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