Force India awaiting "right circumstance" to scrap team orders

With Force India having secured fourth place in the constructors' championship, the Silverstone-based outfit has openly talked about being more aggressive with its approach to the final events of 2017.

It is running Mercedes junior driver George Russell in free practice sessions, and is looking to evaluate new car parts that will help its efforts for next year.

And while there has been intense focus on the team orders situation at the outfit – with Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez having been in lockdown since they collided at the Belgian Grand Prix – the team has shied away from totally dropping its policy.

However, deputy team principal Bob Fernley said that if there was a scenario in the final events where the team felt its interests would not be compromised by letting its drivers battle it out, then it would be ready to lift the restrictions.

"If we feel that them racing could hurt our positions or be bad for strategy, then we will not let them fight," he told Motorsport.com. "However, under the right circumstance, we are now ready to consider it."

Perez said after the Mexican Grand Prix that he felt it important the team let him and Ocon battle it out for these final events, so they could help rebuild trust.

With the team at least open to letting it happen, Perez said in Brazil that he was happy with the situation now.

"Everything is now free, and we want to get the best possible results for the team," he said. "And yeah, they'll send us the bill if we touch the cars – which, these cars are pretty expensive."

Perez also felt that the relationship between him and Ocon had improved greatly after their Belgian GP clash, so future trouble was unlikely.

"We had a conversation in Monza and that's it," he said. "We have moved on.

"I think the atmosphere in the team is great at the moment and hopefully that will continue until the end of the year and going to next year as well."