Brazilian police rescue Bernie Ecclestone’s kidnapped mother-in-law

Bernie Ecclestone’s mother-in-law, who had been kidnapped in Brazil for a ransom of £28m, has been freed, according to police.

Aparecida Schunck, 67, the mother of the Formula One boss’s wife, Fabiana Flosi, 38, was abducted from her home in Sao Paulo more than a week ago.

It is believed investigators monitored phone calls between the family of Ms Schunck and the captors, tracing them to the location where she was being held.

Brazilian police said they rescued Ms Schunck from two men on the outskirts of Sao Paulo.

She was was not harmed in the operation conducted by Sao Paulo’s anti-kidnapping division.

Elisabete Sato of Sao Paulo police told the BBC that the ransom, thought to have been the largest in Brazilian history, had not been paid.

She said there had been a major police operation to free the victim and two suspects were arrested.

Mr Ecclestone, 85, married Ms Flosi in 2012, three years after meeting her at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Brazilian magazine Veja had reported that the ransom for Ms Flosi’s mother had been demanded in pounds sterling and divided into four bags of cash.

Mr Ecclestone has so far declined to comment on the abduction. It is understood he wanted to fly to Brazil to assist police and also offered the use of a private security company to deal with the abductors.

Brazil is hosting this year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro which start on Friday.

Security has emerged as the top concern, including violence possibly spilling over from Rio’s slums.

Authorities have said they will be prepared.