During the Canadian Grand Prix there was one team that wasn’t working as one.
Force India proved to be a surprise force in Montreal with Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon battling for a shock podium.
The drivers, on very differing strategies, however looked for their own personal glory rather than work for the team.
It was senior driver Perez who held track position, but rookie team-made Ocon was the one who found himself on the newer, fresher and faster Pirelli compound and directly behind Perez.
They chased Red Bull Racing driver Daniel Ricciardo but Perez on older tyres didn’t have much of a chance.
Force India asked Perez to move over for Ocon, but Perez refused.
Force India, who proudly don’t usually enforce team-orders tried to negotiate with Perez to give Ocon a chance and if it didn’t work they would swap positions back.
Perez again showed no interest.
In the end Ricciardo took the final place on the podium and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel overtook both Force India’s for fourth.
Perez and Ocon continued to battle until the line with Perez annoying Ocon with an aggressive defensive manoeuvre.
?He cannot do that. He cannot do that. He moved at the last moment. What is this? He cannot do that. This is not fair racing at all.
?This is not fair guys. This is not fair at all.? Ocon told his team over team radio after the chequered flag had fallen [as quoted by motorsport.com].
But Perez defended both that move and the decision to not swap the places under team orders.
‘I couldn’t get Ricciardo, so I don’t think he would have got him. Daniel was very strong on traction.
‘When the team asked me to give the position to Esteban we were about to lap some cars ahead of us. And I thought that Daniel might get traffic, and I only need two to three tenths to get the opportunity on him, and I could see he was struggling and I knew the Ferraris were coming.’ Perez told motorsport.com.
On the final lap move: ‘I think I just defended the position as I would do to anyone ? I just moved once. I protected my inside line, because Sebastian [Vettel], the lap before, just went past on my inside.
‘I made a move to protect that. If he was fast enough, he’d have gone through on the outside. I was just trying to protect my position.’
Force India’s drivers remain at odds
