Force India boss wants a victory

LONDON: Force India co-owner Vijay Mallya has reminded drivers Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon that the team must take priority after a collision at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix wrecked hopes of a first win in Formula One.

The Indian businessman and politician said they would be allowed to continue racing without the need to be reined in, however.

“It’s still frustrating to ponder what might have been had things played out differently,” Mallya said in a preview for Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg, the race following on from Baku.

“Since Baku we’ve had some conversations internally and reminded our drivers that the team must always come first. It’s never acceptable for team mates to make contact with each other and it certainly cost us points in Baku,” added Mallya.

“However, the events of Azerbaijan won’t change our approach. Our drivers can race freely and I’m sure they have learned some valuable lessons ... I know they are mature enough to work together for the good of the team.”

Force India, currently fourth overall in the constructors’ championship, have yet to win a race since Mallya arrived in 2008 and renamed a team that had gone through various previous guises as Jordan, Midland and Spyker. The Silverstone based outfit plans to drop ‘India’ from its name next year, to become Force One, or Force One Grand Prix, with the move motivated by a lack of Indian companies getting involved in the sport.

They have come close, with a pole position and second place in Belgium in 2009 with Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, and four third places for Mexican Perez since he joined in 2014.

In Azerbaijan, Perez and French rookie Ocon were fighting for a podium spot when they collided. Ocon suffered a puncture and significant car damage but