Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley has told F1i he does not have any complaints about the on-track incident involving Nico Hulkenberg and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel at last weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Having started from a strong seventh, the Force India racer was running well into the second half of the top 10 when he saw a fast-recovering Vettel close in on him.
The pair squabbled along the Casino straight with Hulkenberg defending the inside line and Vettel drawing alongside the VJM08. The ex-Williams and Sauber driver refused to yield and eventually lost the rear to spin at the final chicane, as the Ferrari hastily scampered away.
The Montreal race marshals quickly elected to take no further action, something Fernley agreed with.
“No, not really,” he told F1i when asked him after the race whether he had any complaints about the incident.
“That was an aggressive move but a good move. I’d like to see more of that being ignored.”
While the misfortune did cost Hulkenberg some time, the German was able to continue and went on securing his first point finish since Melbourne’s season opener. Fernley actually believes Romain Grosjean’s unscheduled pit stop following his clash with Stevens helped even things out in the end.
“It could have been worse. Our worry was the position the Lotuses were in, looking strong. In some ways, once again we were probably gifted a little bit of something from them.
“We reckon seventh and eighth were the best we could do. We ended up eighth so I think we did fine.”
Force India’s four-point haul in Canada means the team now heads to Austria, where its current VJM08 will race for the final time before being replaced by a much-upgraded version, as the sixth-ranked team in the standings.
“What’s more important to us is not specifically where we are in a race now, but that fifth, sixth, and seventh [in the Constructors’ championship] are only two points away. That’s the important bit.
“So, when we launch [our B-spec car] in Silverstone, that’s really when our season starts.”
Click here for the latest photos from the Canadian Grand Prix
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