Bernie Ecclestone made one harsh Zak Brown prediction that he’s already proved completely wrong

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McLaren’s leadership are a big reason why their Formula 1 team has turned a new leaf over the past few years.

Before current boss Zak Brown took over in 2018, they were in the midst of a miserable period. In fact, there was a possibility that insolvency was in their future, but they just about navigated through it.

They had the right man at the helm, and the right decisions have now been made. McLaren are serial title contenders again, and they have a top-tier line-up.

With three races to go in 2025, there’s a 99% chance that the drivers’ championship will be won by one of their drivers, and the constructors is already wrapped up.

McLaren have internally changed their mind about Oscar Piastri and aren’t as forgiving about his recent mistakes as they once were.

It has also been revealed that a ‘very high-up’ figure devalued Piastri’s victories earlier in the season, laying some of the blame on an ‘underperforming’ Lando Norris.

READ MORE: Ralf Schumacher ‘can tell’ Oscar Piastri is not being fully honest about Lando Norris relationship

Bernie Ecclestone predicted that Zak Brown wouldn’t last more than two years at McLaren

Piastri and Norris are not ‘on the best of terms’, according to Ralf Schumacher, who sees more issues beyond what they present.

But the level of intensity at the team currently is high, and it makes sense for their drivers not to be on great terms when they’re competing against each other.

They wouldn’t have been in this position without the efforts of one man, Brown, who had a mammoth task ahead of him when he joined the team seven years ago.

Since then, he has made some savvy hires, including making Andrea Stella team boss, and has lasted longer than ex-supremo Bernie Ecclestone predicted that he would.

“Two years, he did the over/under,” he said on the High Performance Podcast. “He’s always been a great character. Yeah, I wouldn’t last two years,” he said.

“We should have actually made a bet, but I’m not sure I would’ve bet against him. Because if you think about it, prior to myself joining, you kind of had five different leaders, right?”

READ MORE: Oscar Piastri’s worrying change in ‘body language’ proves why he won’t win the 2025 F1 title

Could McLaren’s Formula 1 driver line-up change soon?

Even though they seem fairly settled currently and are a long way from experiencing the same level of conflict as Mercedes’ drivers did in the 2010s, a McLaren change wouldn’t be impossible.

Guenther Steiner thinks Piastri ‘will’ leave McLaren, especially if he fails to win a maiden Formula 1 title in 2025.

He won’t be short of admirers, either, with the likes of Red Bull potentially in need of a driver if they fail to sort their second car woes.

Piastri’s manager, Mark Webber, also has ties to the team, as he drove for them just over 10 years ago before retiring from the sport.