Force India still undecided on letting Ocon, Perez race freely again

Force India Formula 1 bosses will take their time to consider whether drivers Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon will be allowed to race freely again in the final two races of the season after securing fourth place in the constructors' championship.

Perez and Ocon tangled in a number of on-track clashes through the early part of the F1 season, with two touches during the Belgian Grand Prix forcing the team to invoke team orders and revise its rules of engagement to prevent further incidents.

The pair have not made contact since, with their strong on-track results clinching fourth place in the F1 constructors' championship for Force India on Sunday in Mexico with two races remaining, moving onto a record points total for the team in the process.

With no championship position to gain or lose in the final two races of the year, it was suggested that Perez and Ocon may be given free rein to race once again in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, and Force India F1 chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer said talks would be held in the coming weeks to make a decision.

"That we’ve got to discuss internally as we still have a couple of weeks to decide. It probably looks better for the fans if they are allowed to race," Szafnauer said.

"But at the same time car parts aren’t cheap, and if you crash into each other, maybe you have to buy some more for the next race and we still have a test.

"So all those considerations have to come in to play as well."

Ocon and Perez found themselves running third and fourth respectively at one stage of last weekend's grand prix in Mexico, creating a possible headache for Force India as Perez chased a podium finish at his home F1 race.

However, Szafnauer stressed the team went into the race with a plan that it stuck to, with Ocon ultimately finishing fifth and Perez in P7.

"We played it how we set it out at the beginning. The reverse could have been true, we could have had Checo in third and Esteban faster in fourth," Szafnauer said.

"Do you then tell Checo at his home race to move over because he is faster? You’ve scored a bunch of podiums and he hasn’t scored one so let’s give him a chance too.

"You’ve got to be fair, so the best way to do it is explain what the rules of engagement are early and then whatever happens you follow them and don’t deviate.

"That is what we’ve been doing and that is fair because one time it will beneficial to one and then the other.

"That is exactly what we’ve done since Spa."