Ocon: 'Unprofessional Perez put our lives at risk'

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A dejected Esteban Ocon says that Force India team mate Sergio Perez raced in an unprofessional manner on Sunday following two dangerous contacts in the same spot at Spa.

The first encounter went without damage when Ocon was squeezed by Perez against the old Spa pitwall, but the second contact damaged the Frenchman's front wing and ultimately caused the Mexican's demise.

Force India's drivers have been at odds with each other since the Canadian Grand Prix and another contact at Baku.

Today's latest on-track mano a mano, and its dangerous nature, is unacceptable to Ocon who had some strong words for his team mate.

"Risking our lives for nothing. He risked my life in there, at 300km/h [186mph] down to Eau Rouge," Ocon told Channel 4.

"That's the first thing, the second thing is we lost a lot of points.

"He's supposed to be a professional driver, today he didn't show it. He has not done that with any other teammates, I don't know why he's doing it with me.

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Ocon said he could eventually accept the first mishap, but insisted that Perez's second deliberate move was just "too much".

"I accept the first one. We were three-wide, maybe he didn't see me - even if I think he saw me.

"The second one was just the one too much. What's the point of doing that? He just squeezed me into the wall. He's supposed to be a professional driver, he didn't show it today.

"I'm going to go and speak to him man to man and tell him the truth. He's going to have a child. I don't know if he wants to die or something. It's just ridiculous."

Told that Otmar Szafnauer would likely prevent Force India's drivers from racing each other in the future, Ocon said he understood the team's stance.

"I fully understand the point of Otmar," said the 20-year-old.

"How many points have we lost today? We were running in a great position. It's just a stupid maneuver, there was no reason to that.

"We need to show that we are professional. He's (Perez) 28 and been racing for seven years in Formula 1, so he needs to think about what he does."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.