The 95-year-old had flown from Switzerland with his wife, Fabiana Ecclestone, landing at Tires airfield near Cascais.

Ecclestone told Reuters that he had brought the shotgun with him because he planned to take part in clay pigeon shooting while in Portugal. The problem was the paperwork: he did not have the necessary documentation to carry the gun.

Portuguese media reported that the weapon was discovered during a routine police check.

Ecclestone said he had already passed through customs when police questioned him about the shotgun and asked to see its documents.

He described the resulting situation as “unnecessary aggravation”, explaining that the gun was one he had been using for clay pigeon shooting in Switzerland and that he intended to use it for the same purpose in Portugal.

His wife eventually travelled to Lisbon accompanied by a customs official to hand the shotgun over to the authorities.

Ecclestone said he signed the documents requested by officials, and that the weapon remained with the authorities in Lisbon.

Not his first airport gun incident

The episode is not Ecclestone’s first encounter with authorities involving a firearm while travelling.

In 2022, he was briefly detained in Brazil after an unregistered handgun was discovered in his luggage as he prepared to board a private flight to Switzerland.

At the time, Ecclestone acknowledged that the gun belonged to him but said he had not realised it was in his luggage.

Ecclestone spent around four decades running Formula One’s commercial operations before leaving his position in 2017.

He also owns a home in the resort area neighbouring Cascais, according to Reuters. His wife Fabiana is vice-president for sport at the FIA, Formula One’s governing body.

This time, Ecclestone was able to continue his stay in Portugal, but without the shotgun he had brought along for the weekend.