03/07/2017
NEWS STORY
Azerbaijan marked the second successive race in which the intra-team battle between Force India drivers, Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon, appeared to compromise the Silverstone-based outfit's ambitions of closing the gap to the leaders.
In Canada, Perez refused to yield to Ocon, as the pair pursued third-placed Daniel Ricciardo. On fresher rubber, the Frenchman pleaded with the team to be allowed through to battle the Australian.
Rather than giving Perez a direct order to yield, the team merely asked the Mexican to move aside, which he refused to do. as the squabble continued, Sebastian Vettel was able to pass the pair of them to finish fourth.
On the streets of Baku, having previously been given the green light to continue battling one another, the pair were at it again, this time the Pink Panthers actually colliding, leaving Perez with damage that was ultimately to lead to his retirement.
While many believe the feuding duo is now an accident waiting to happen, ahead of this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, team co-owner Vijay Mallya insists the pair remain free to fight.
"I can't remember a Grand Prix creating such a buzz and so many talking points as the race we saw in Baku," he said. "We certainly played our part and it's still frustrating to ponder what might have been had things played out differently.
"Since Baku we've had some conversations internally and reminded our drivers that the team must always come first. It's never acceptable for teammates to make contact with each other and it certainly cost us points.
"However, the events of Azerbaijan won't change our approach," he insisted. "Our drivers can race freely and I'm sure they have learned some valuable lessons. We've given them a competitive car and I know they are mature enough to work together for the good of the team.
"I'm still feeling disappointed about the lost opportunity," said Perez, "but at the same time I'm feeling positive about the performance level we showed.
"We were fighting at the front and the car was working well. It's just a shame my race ended early because there was a great chance of finishing on the podium."