Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, at a remarkable 95 years old, found himself detained at a Portuguese airport on Monday after security discovered a shotgun in his possession. The kicker? He totally lacked a permit for it. We’re talking about the guy who basically *built* modern F1, getting busted with a firearm he “brought from Switzerland for pigeon shooting,” as he told the Daily Mail. You absolutely cannot make this stuff up.
“Wall-to-Wall Aggravation” at Tires Airport
The whole wild scene went down at Tires Airport near Lisbon. Officers from the Portuguese Public Security Police airport division were the ones who found the shotgun. When they pressed him for documentation, Ecclestone’s response was peak Bernie: “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.” Talk about marching to the beat of your own drum, even at 95! He admitted they told him they would arrest him, saying, “after what seemed like hours we sorted it out, but it has been wall-to-wall aggravation.” Good thing for him, he was ultimately released just hours later, but not without some serious drama.
Not Bernie’s First Rodeo With Airport Firearms
And here’s where it gets even crazier: this isn’t even the first time the F1 icon has run into trouble for carrying a weapon at an airport! Back in May 2022, he was detained at Viracopos Airport in Brazil. On that occasion, police found a .32-caliber pistol in his possession. The outcome then? He had to pay a fine and was able to leave without further issues. Think about that, two separate firearm busts at international airports for a nonagenarian. This is the same British business magnate who was at the helm of F1 for three decades, from 1987 to 2017, after gaining a marketing grip on the sport in the late 1970s by simply selling its TV rights. He controlled the series for four decades until he decided to step down, splitting his time between homes in Switzerland and Portugal. Even now, he continues to attend races, showing he’s still very much in the mix.
It is clear that Bernie Ecclestone, despite his age and legendary status, continues to live life on his own terms, even if those terms involve “wall-to-wall aggravation” and repeated airport detentions. What kind of headline will this F1 titan generate next? Honestly, your guess is as good as mine, but you know it won’t be boring.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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