Ocon, Perez crash prompt Force India team orders
Ocon, Perez crash prompt Force India team orders
Force India team boss Otmar Szafnauer says Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon will be subjected to future team orders after their opening-lap crash at the Singapore Grand Prix which left the Frenchman in the wall and out of the race.
Ocon attempted a bold move around the outside of his team-mate at turn three of the Marina Bay Circuit, but he soon ran out of room and lost his front-right wheel in the wall.
Perez immediately apologised over team radio, but was once again under the spotlight when he followed winning a feisty battle with Williams' Sergey Sirotkin by spearing into the Russian's sidepod – earning a drive-through penalty.
Force India enforced team orders on the pair last year after a string of incidents and Szafnauer suggested they would return for the remaining six races of 2018 after Sunday's incident.
"Well I mean it's unacceptable for them to come together like that in an area there's no run-off room," Szafnauer told Sky Sports. "They've got to leave each other room.
"The team is more important than any one individual and we'll have to go back to the rules we instilled on them last year. If that's what they're going to do we're going to have to take control from here.
"Once they're in the car it's hard to control what they do but prior to that we can control them.
"There's enough room on the left-hand side as I can see and you've got to give your teammate enough room.
"If it's somebody else, if it's not your teammate then it's a racing incident but if it's your teammate you've got to give room.
"It's been over a year since it happened and it was in Baku last year that we installed the rules. It was after Spa, if you remember, and from Spa until here it hasn't happened so we are back to the old rules.
"We allowed them to race on lap one whereas in the past we didn't allow them to race on lap one and now we can remove that.
"If they continue to do this, even on lap one, then there's other ways to separate them which we hope that we don't ever have to employ."
Having started seventh on the grid, Perez ultimately finished a disappointing 16th.
VIDEO: Ocon eats the wall at Singapore start
VIDEO: Perez smashes into Sirotkin
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Horner reveals 'unhuman' Verstappen secret
- 25 minutes ago
Sainz manager speaks out on 'game playing' over contract
- 1 hour ago
EXCLUSIVE: World champion reveals 'logical' winning F1 Hamilton combination
- 2 hours ago
Why F1's RADICAL proposed points change is a positive step
- Today 15:57
Former F1 chief hits out at Hamilton 'EXCUSES'
- Today 13:57
Red Bull already sending parts to F1 race MONTHS away
- Today 12:57
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860