Perez tells Force India F1 team-mate Ocon to 'be intelligent'

Sergio Perez says Force India Formula 1 team-mate Esteban Ocon must be "intelligent" enough to understand what he did wrong in their Azerbaijan Grand Prix crash and change his approach

Perez tells Force India F1 team-mate Ocon to 'be intelligent'

The Force India pair were battling for a potential podium finish in Baku when they collided after a safety car restart, damaging both cars - Perez's more seriously.

Perez is adamant that the clash was avoidable, but sees no need for his team bosses to step in and dictate new rules of engagements.

He thinks the only thing that needs to change is Ocon's mindset.

"I think more than a rulebook is just making sure that with Esteban we are free to race, but what racing means," said Perez ahead of the Austrian GP.

"If they tell you you are free to race but you just push your team-mate in the wall, then that is not the right way forward.

"I expect him to be intelligent enough to understand what he did wrong and change his attitude a bit for the benefit of the team.

"Simply, Esteban has to understand what racing means. Racing means just racing another car, not crashing into the other car.

"I think pretty much all the team-mates on the grid are free to race with respect to the other car and to the other rivals.

"In four years with Nico [Hulkenberg] we never had an issue and were free to race."

Perez says the Baku incident was especially frustrating because he had already conceded position to Ocon when they touched.

"The move was already done," he said.

"I don't think we can blame the kerb because we were already in a straight line and we touched in a straight line.

"He was already ahead of me and he just didn't leave enough room.

"There was no need for the contact.

"I don't think you have to be a genius to understand what happened."

Perez has not spoken to Ocon since the incident, but made it clear how unhappy the team was at the missed opportunity of Baku - especially after the controversy between the pair in Montreal when Ocon was unhappy that Perez would not let him through as they chased a podium.

"I think what happened in Baku was totally unacceptable from the team point of view," said Perez.

"In all my experience I have had with team-mates, the competition has been really intense between team-mates but never to that extent, never to just unnecessarily crashing into each other.

"At the end of the day, it is the team who paid the price."

shares
comments

Sauber Formula 1 team signs new technical personnel

Force India said Baku collision with Perez was 50/50 - Ocon

How Vasseur has begun Ferrari’s mission to keep Leclerc on side

How Vasseur has begun Ferrari’s mission to keep Leclerc on side

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
GP Racing

How Vasseur has begun Ferrari’s mission to keep Leclerc on side How Vasseur has begun Ferrari’s mission to keep Leclerc on side

Why Red Bull’s biggest F1 adversary is now itself

Why Red Bull’s biggest F1 adversary is now itself

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Saudi Arabian GP
Jonathan Noble

Why Red Bull’s biggest F1 adversary is now itself Why Red Bull’s biggest F1 adversary is now itself

How "only tough" Tost's public lack of trust could hurt AlphaTauri

How "only tough" Tost's public lack of trust could hurt AlphaTauri

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Saudi Arabian GP
Jake Boxall-Legge

How "only tough" Tost's public lack of trust could hurt AlphaTauri How "only tough" Tost's public lack of trust could hurt AlphaTauri

What Perez's Jeddah joy means for F1’s 2023 hopes for a real title fight

What Perez's Jeddah joy means for F1’s 2023 hopes for a real title fight

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Saudi Arabian GP
Alex Kalinauckas

What Perez's Jeddah joy means for F1’s 2023 hopes for a real title fight What Perez's Jeddah joy means for F1’s 2023 hopes for a real title fight

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Saudi Arabian GP
Alex Kalinauckas

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023

How Perez kept Verstappen’s Saudi Arabian GP surge at bay

How Perez kept Verstappen’s Saudi Arabian GP surge at bay

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Saudi Arabian GP
Jake Boxall-Legge

How Perez kept Verstappen’s Saudi Arabian GP surge at bay How Perez kept Verstappen’s Saudi Arabian GP surge at bay

The enormous job facing F1 for its Vegas gamble to pay off

The enormous job facing F1 for its Vegas gamble to pay off

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Las Vegas GP
GP Racing

The enormous job facing F1 for its Vegas gamble to pay off The enormous job facing F1 for its Vegas gamble to pay off

Testing times for Vasseur, but the true challenge at Ferrari is about to come

Testing times for Vasseur, but the true challenge at Ferrari is about to come

Plus
Plus
Formula 1
Saudi Arabian GP
Jonathan Noble

Testing times for Vasseur, but the true challenge at Ferrari is about to come Testing times for Vasseur, but the true challenge at Ferrari is about to come