Brazilian police have revealed that, following the capture of the two kidnappers, a third suspect was detained on Monday.

Jorge Eurico da Silva, a helicopter pilot who worked for Ecclestone and the family of his wife Fabiana, is suspected of being the mastermind behind the kidnap plot.

Sao Paulo's police department uncovered his involvement in the affair after tracing phone calls between him and the two other suspects - Vitor Oliveira Amorim and David Vicente Azevedo.

Ecclestone's mother-in-law Aparecida Schunck was held for several days with a ransom of £28 million being demanded for her safe release.

According to local media reports, police were eventually led to the hideout after discovering fingerprints and CCTV footage of the kidnappers exchanging cars as they made their getaway.

Local authorities said that no ransom was paid and no shots were fired during the rescue operation.