What’s a pistol doing in his luggage? Bernie Eccleston cannot explain how it got there.

Former Formula 1 chief marketer Bernie Ecclestone (91) has been temporarily arrested in Brazil for illegal possession of weapons.

When checking his luggage at Campinas airport in the state of São Paulo, officials discovered a pistol, TV station Globo reported on Thursday. Ecclestone admitted to owning the gun. However, according to his own statements, he did not know that the pistol was in his luggage. In addition, he could not provide any documents for the weapon.

Ecclestone said he bought the pistol from a Formula 1 mechanic five years ago and has since kept it on an estate in São Paulo state. After posting bail of 6060 reais (1175 euros), the Brit was released and traveled to Switzerland on a private plane. Ecclestone had been in Brazil with his Brazilian wife Fabiana for around a month and had attended several motorsport events there.