Ex-F1 star in ‘dreaming mode’ after Sergio Perez or Fernando Alonso Italian GP win prediction

13-time F1 race winner David Coulthard was told he was in “dreaming mode” after predicting a Sergio Perez or Fernando Alonso Italian GP win.

After the F1 2024 campaign resumed at Zandvoort, the season quickly moves on to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where Max Verstappen and Red Bull will look to strike back after Lando Norris eased to victory in his McLaren last time out.

Sergio Perez or Fernando Alonso to win the Italian GP?

However, while speaking on the Formula For Success podcast alongside former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan, Coulthard said he has a “feeling” that Monza could produce a surprise winner – as it has not shied away from doing in the past – putting forward Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso as the kind of drivers who could take the chequered flag.

Perez is battling to return to form and has not tasted F1 victory since Baku 2023, while for Alonso, it is Spain 2013!

Coulthard said: “I just have a feeling, you know, we mentioned Zandvoort, not that much action, everyone did their strategies and the result was the result, but I just have a feeling that maybe Monza will bring a little incident, you know, a lot of high speed into tight corners.

“And maybe we get a surprise winner. Maybe it’s Checo Perez in a shocking return to winning form. Maybe it’s Fernando Alonso in the Aston, a former Ferrari driver, that would be kind of cool to get some shock results.”

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Jordan was not impressed, telling Coulthard he was in “dreaming mode” if he believed Perez or Alonso would win the Italian GP.

“I think now you’ve gone back into dreaming mode,” he said, “and I’m not sure if you’ve actually got out of bed when you just said that statement.

“Because I mean, certain things are clear, and that is that night follows day. And that’s not going to happen. You know that’s not going to happen.”

As for who Jordan sees winning at Monza, he reckons the “old protagonists” will battle it out, those being Verstappen, the McLarens of Norris and Oscar Piastri, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and George Russell and the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz on home soil for the team.

And Jordan would like to see Russell take the win, referencing the victory he lost at Spa after his Mercedes was found to be underweight after the race.

“I’d like to see George Russell win this race,” said Jordan.

“My heart still goes out to him for that weight [rule breach], how he drove that car, on those tyres, over all that distance.

“I think the Mercedes engine will be strong. It depends on which cars. It could be in a Williams, it could be actually in a McLaren. But I just feel that George has a chance of winning this.”

Mercedes has not tasted victory at Monza since Hamilton’s 2018 triumph. That was his fifth victory at the iconic venue, one which moved him level with Michael Schumacher for most Monza wins.

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