Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Force India drivers reminded that the team comes first

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 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 teammust 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.

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 continued to finish sixth.

Perez initially retired, before the race was stopped and then re-started due to debris on the track caused by the Force India collision.

Of the cars ahead of them at the time, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton lost the lead after pitting to fix a loose headrest while Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was handed a 10 second stop and go penalty and finished fourth.

"Vettel got his penalty due to that restart, so we would have beaten him. And (Red Bull's eventual winner Daniel) Ricciardo we would have beaten," said chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer after the race.

"But without us causing the red flag, Hamilton’s headrest wouldn’t have come up, so he would have won it. So, would have, could have, should have ... we still would have been second or third."

More For You

Northern-Superchargers-Getty

Ben Stokes and Matthew Short of Northern Superchargers walk out to bat during The Hundred match between Manchester Originals and Northern Superchargers on August 11, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo: Getty Images)

Sunrisers Hyderabad to acquire Northern Superchargers in £100 million deal

INDIAN Premier League franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad is set to become the first full owners of an English Hundred team after agreeing to buy Yorkshire’s Northern Superchargers for a reported £100 million.

The Sun Group will be the third IPL-linked investor in the eight-team Hundred competition, following Reliance Industries, which owns Mumbai Indians, and RPSG, which runs Lucknow Super Giants.

Keep ReadingShow less
England rejects calls to boycott Afghanistan match

ECB chairman Richard Thompson. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

England rejects calls to boycott Afghanistan match

ENGLAND will play their Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan later this month, England's cricket board (ECB) said, despite calls to boycott the game in response to the Taliban government's crackdown on women's rights.

Last month, a group of British lawmakers urged England to boycott the Champions Trophy group stage match against Afghanistan which will be held in Lahore on February 26.

Keep ReadingShow less
Greg Norman calls for more
golf events in ‘sleeping giant’ India

Greg Norman

Greg Norman calls for more golf events in ‘sleeping giant’ India

Eastern Eye

INDIA is a sleeping giant in golf, Australian legend Greg Norman has said, as he called for more tournaments to be held in the country to help players realise their true potential.

The 69-year-old former world number one, who has 88 professional titles under his belt, spoke of his optimism for India’s growth in the sport.

Keep ReadingShow less
india-england-odi-BCCI

India handed ODI debuts to opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and fast bowler Harshit Rana. (Photo credit: BCCI)

England bat first in ODI opener as Kohli sits out

ENGLAND captain Jos Buttler won the toss and chose to bat against India in the first of three one-day internationals in Nagpur on Thursday.

India were without Virat Kohli, who missed out due to a sore right knee.

Keep ReadingShow less
Manchester-Originals-Getty

If finalised within the eight-week exclusivity period, the deal would make Manchester Originals the second team in The Hundred to have an IPL-affiliated investor. (Photo: Getty Images)

India’s RPSG Group buys 49 per cent stake in Hundred’s Manchester Originals

THE RPSG Group, owners of Indian Premier League (IPL) team Lucknow Super Giants, have secured a 49 per cent stake in Manchester Originals following the latest auction of The Hundred franchises on Monday.

Reports suggest the deal is valued at around £58 million, placing the overall valuation of Manchester Originals, who play at Old Trafford, at over £100m.

Keep ReadingShow less