Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was arrested earlier this week for carrying a firearm in Brazil, though he has since paid the bail to be released.

The ex-F1 supremo is regularly in Brazil with his wife hailing from the country but he was heading to Switzerland on a private flight and was getting ready to board before being stopped by police.

Indeed, an X-ray machine picked up that he had an undocumented firearm in his luggage and he was arrested and taken to a police facility at Viracopos airport, to be asked about the weapon.

According to Reuters, he revealed that he indeed did own the gun but that he was not aware that it was in his possession at the time of heading for the flight and that he did not know it was in his luggage as it went through to be scanned.

Ecclestone paid the bail to be released after that, and set off on his flight to Switzerland thereafter, with him surely hoping that he doesn't make the same mistake again in the future.

Ecclestone has been away from Formula 1 since Liberty Media dismissed him, though it's clear he's still keeping himself rather busy, even if this particular flight was delayed.