Eddie Jordan outlines the only way he can see Sergio Perez winning at Monza

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Sergio Perez has floundered throughout the 2024 Formula 1 season, costing Red Bull valuable points in the Constructors’ Championship battle.

The Mexican hasn’t stood on the podium since the Chinese Grand Prix in April, despite driving a car that has taken victory three times since then with his teammate Max Verstappen.

Perez has also struggled in qualifying, getting knocked out in Q1 on two consecutive occasions at the British Grand Prix and the following race in Hungary.

This poor run of form has put pressure on the Red Bull driver as McLaren continue to close the gap in the Constructors’ Championship relentlessly.

Eddie Jordan believes a rain-affected Italian Grand Prix is the only way Sergio Perez can take victory

Perez has struggled for ultimate speed in recent times in the rain and made errors that aren’t expected of a driver in a top team.

He spun into the gravel trap at Copse in qualifying for the British Grand Prix on a damp track and has often left Verstappen to fight at the front on his own.

In qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, Perez set the third quickest time in the rain but was still more than half a second slower than Verstappen.

The 34-year-old put in a slightly better performance at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort last time out, finishing in sixth place. This improved his drive in the Belgian Grand Prix, where he went under the radar in the closing stages.

Despite Perez’s recent errors in the rain, Eddie Jordan expects wet weather could provide an opportunity for the Mexican to stand on the top step of the podium.

When speaking on the Formula For Success podcast, he said: “If it was very wet, yes, you could see Checo because he’s clever in that. But they’ve got onto what Checo used to do, at Azerbaijan or wherever it is. He was clever with the road circuits and how he structured it. I think this will be a difficult race.”

The high-speed nature of Monza may play into Red Bull’s hands with their aero efficiency, which makes the car very competitive in a straight line.

Sergio Perez’s lacklustre performances have put Red Bull under pressure

Red Bull started the season in dominant style, winning four of the first five races of the year, but they no longer have the quickest car in F1 as McLaren are now the class of the field.

The British team are now just 30 points behind Red Bull with nine races remaining and have two drivers capable of consistently racing in the top five.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have both won their first Grand Prix this year and are surely full of confidence.

McLaren has been incredibly consistent and has seen at least one of their drivers on the podium in every race since the Chinese Grand Prix in April, although they have missed chances to win more events.

The next few races may allow McLaren to close the gap further, particularly in Singapore, where, despite their dominant car, Red Bull floundered in 2023.