Force India boss Vijay Mallya says Sergio Pérez and Esteban Ocon will no longer be permitted to race each other, following their latest clash at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Pérez and Ocon, having brushed on the opening lap, came to blows shortly after the pair had been serviced for their respective second pit stops at Spa-Francorchamps.
Ocon, attempting to pass Pérez on the run out of La Source, lost part of his front wing, with the Mexican’s VJM10 receiving a puncture.
It was the latest in a string of run-ins and near-misses between the pair across the last few months.
The duo came close to colliding during a tense Canadian Grand Prix, with Ocon miffed at Pérez’s stance, before hitting each other in Azerbaijan, costing Force India a strong result.
Light contact was also made on the opening lap in Hungary – though both drivers continued untroubled – before the two incidents in Belgium.
Force India has previously maintained that its drivers were free to race, but the policy has now been changed as a result of the latest spat.
“I have been very happy with our overall performance during the 2017 season with both drivers scoring points for the team and racing freely,” said Mallya.
“However, as much as I support competitive racing, the repeated incidents between both our cars are now becoming very concerning.
“Under these circumstances I have no choice but to implement a policy of team orders in the interest of safety and to protect the team’s position in the constructors’ championship.
"We have made both drivers aware of the new team policy designed to prevent incidents like the ones in Spa from reoccurring.
"As a team, we have a responsibility to defend our position and I am sure we will finish the season without any further issues. We have been competitive on every track so far and we intend to continue our strong season with another good performance in Monza."
Chief Operating Officer Otmar Szafnauer explained: “This is what you get when you have two very competitive drivers who are fairly equal in performance in a decent car.
“It has happened to others in the past and it is happening to us now. However, we cannot afford to see this in the future, so we will ensure the team controls what happens on the track.
“We gave our drivers the chance to sort it out by themselves, but if they cannot do it, we will have to put some more rules in place and take the situation in our control.”
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