Force India has threatened Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon with race bans following Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Force India threaten Perez and Ocon with race bans
In the race, the two team mates came to blows twice, banging wheels on the opening lap and making contact in the second half of the race. It was the second collision that proved to be the most costly, with Perez retiring after sustaining a puncture and Ocon damaging his front wing, although the first bit of contact could have had devastating consequences if damage was done.
After the race, both Perez and Ocon were furious with the accident and were quick to point the finger at one another: “We have to look back to Baku where he put me in the wall,” said Perez. “I’m not saying I did it because of that, but tension started back then.”
Ocon’s words were more hitting however: “He’s about to have a child but does he want to die?” he asked post-race.
Vijay Mallya, the owner of Force India, responded to the accidents by saying that the Silverstone-based squad would enforce team orders from now on, with it being forbidden for the pair to race out on track.
Otmar Szafnauer was more appalled at the incident, and went one step further to threaten his two drivers with race bans if their ongoing feud continues on track: “If it happens again, we would have to think about who we will put in the car instead,” he said, although this could also suggest that Perez or Ocon could find themselves out of the team at the end of the year, with neither being confirmed for 2018 as of yet.
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