Force India driver Sergio Pérez reckons team-mate Esteban Ocon has to “understand what racing means”, in the wake of their collision at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
While contesting fourth position, Ocon attempted a move on Pérez through Turn 2 at the Baku City Circuit, though the VJM10s made contact.
Secondary contact was made as the pair exited the corner, with both drivers sustaining damage, dropping both down the order. Ocon went on to record sixth place while Pérez was forced to retire.
The contact in Baku came a race after controversy in Canada when Ocon, on fresher tyres than Pérez, was denied an opportunity to pass his team-mate, as the duo shadowed Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo.
Force India opted not to change its stance post-Canada, a position it has maintained in light of the Baku contact, but Pérez feels his younger team-mate needs to alter his approach.
“Simply Esteban has to understand what racing means,” Pérez said when asked if imposing team orders was the correct call.
“Racing means just racing another car, not crashing into the other car, I think pretty much all the team-mates in the grid are free to race, obviously with respect to the other car and the other rival.
“In four years with Nico [Hülkenberg] we never had an issue, we were free to race, had big battles on track, as long as Esteban understands what racing means then that should be clear.”
Pérez went on to label the situation as “totally unacceptable”, believing Force India has lost a strong chance of getting both drivers on the podium.
“What happened in Baku was just totally unacceptable from the team’s point of view; that was the feedback I got from the team,” he commented.
“In all my experience I had with team-mates, the competition has been intense but never to that extent, never to just unnecessarily crashing into each other.
“I gave enough room, he was already ahead, there was no need at all to ruin our races, and it’s the team who pays the price, the team has said a lot since then and for me there’s not a lot more to say.”
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