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Force India has announced that Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez will be free to race for the rest of the season, despite disagreements coming at the last two events. In Canada, Ocon was frustrated that Perez didn't let him through to attack Ricciardo for third place.
And then last time out in Baku, the two breached the golden rule of racing - not to make contact with your teammate. Ocon appeared to squeeze Perez into the wall, resulting in both cars suffering damage and costing the team a potential victory.
Team principal Vijay Mallya stated that he enjoyed the buzz surrounding the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Despite stating that it's unacceptable for his two drivers to make contact on track, he has rushed his confidence back into them by declaring they are both free to race.
"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.
Perez still feeling the disappointment
Sergio Perez is still ruing the lost opportunity in Baku, as it was very possible the team would have gone on to claim a double podium. Perez and Ocon were running fourth and fifth, while ahead, Hamilton and Vettel both made unscheduled trips to the pits. Massa retired from the race with a car issue, meaning Force India could have had its first one-two finish.
"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."
Fergal Walsh
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Good decision!