Bernie Ecclestone backs ‘magic’ F1 driver to win championship in ‘next two years’

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Bernie Ecclestone was the chief executive officer of Formula 1 for almost 40 years, so saw plenty of drivers’ champions crowned and believes one ‘magic’ ace may be next.

The Briton lost control of F1 in January 2017 when Liberty Media finalised a £6.4bn takeover with Chase Carey taking over from Ecclestone as CEO through 2020. It put the curtain down on his reign which saw Formula 1 transform hugely after securing great riches from TV deals.

Ecclestone moved into his full-time role as the F1 supremo in the mid-1990s, after which the series saw Michael Schumacher dominate driving for Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel dominate with Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton dominate with Mercedes and Max Verstappen thrive with Red Bull.

Bernie Ecclestone backs Oscar Piastri to win the F1 title in ‘two years’

Red Bull and Mercedes have even seen their drivers win the championship every year since Jenson Button secured it with Brawn GP in 2009. But McLaren may return to the top for the first time since 2008 with Hamilton this season with Lando Norris in the mix for his first title.

Norris trails three-time champion Verstappen by 52 points with six rounds to go, so he must outscore his rival by 8.7 points per round for the Briton’s first drivers’ title. The constructors’ title is more realistic for McLaren, on the other hand, as the team lead Red Bull by 41 points.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s life outside F1 from height to girlfriend

Ecclestone even thinks Norris’ chances to become a champion may be short-lived as he has backed McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to win the drivers’ title ‘within the next two years’, so long as the Woking natives continue to produce a competitive car, as he is a ‘magic’ gem.

“The Australian, I think, is a magic guy,” Ecclestone told sport.de. “He would, for sure, be [a] world champion within the next two years if the car keeps performing the way it is. That’s what will happen. He, I think, stands out amongst all the others.”

Oscar Piastri has proven he is a match for Lando Norris at McLaren

McLaren have enjoyed a meteoric turnaround since the start of the 2023 season when they arrived for the Bahrain Grand Prix with one of the slowest cars on the grid. Now, Norris and Piastri could provide McLaren their first constructors’ championship since 1998 this season.

Norris could also deliver McLaren’s first drivers’ title since Hamilton won it with the Woking natives in 2008. But Piastri is just 42 points behind the Briton and the Australian has scored more points than any other driver has since the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with 184.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration

In the 11 Grand Prix since F1 took to Imola in May, Norris has scored 178 points, Verstappen has scored 170 and Charles Leclerc has scored 132. The title momentum in McLaren’s ranks may even be in Piastri’s favour without a collision with Carlos Sainz in the Miami Grand Prix.

Norris won his first F1 race at the 2024 Miami GP yet benefited from a safety car, which also cost Piastri as the Melbourne native was running second to Verstappen in the opening stint. Without Norris jumping into the lead thanks to the safety car, Piastri had him covered easily.

Since then, the 23-year-old has proven he is a match for the 24-year-old from Bristol. Piastri had Norris covered in the Hungarian Grand Prix, before McLaren’s strategy moved the latter into the lead and caused their negotiations about team orders that yielded Piastri’s first win.