Once considered by Renault, the two current Sahara Force India drivers will remain in Silverstone next season as the team has officially announced that it will retain them in 2018. This is not a surprise following the confirmation of Carlos Sainz’s transfer to the Losange.<\/p>\n
The coexistence between the two men has been far from easy to manage, with numerous clashes. The Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix witnessed two high-speed contacts that could have ended very badly for both men.<\/p>\n
But with team orders now in place, they know they will have to coexist for at least one more season, which should force them to give each other more space on the track.<\/p>\n
For the team, it’s a double advantage as they retain a driver who consistently scores points and also keep the generous sponsors that have supported the Mexican since his debut. Vijay Mallya, the team’s co-owner, could only be pleased: \u00ab Sergio has played an important role in our successes in recent years. Since he joined us in 2014, he has matured significantly and become one of the fastest and most consistent drivers on the grid. His track record speaks for itself as he is Force India’s best driver, with four podiums. With Esteban, keeping Sergio gives us stability for next year and one of the best driver pairs in Formula 1. \u00bb<\/p>\n
It can also be noted that once again, the two parties have committed for only one additional season since many contracts expire at the end of 2018, notably those of the two Mercedes drivers. If Lewis Hamilton were to retire, Esteban Ocon, a prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of the star-branded company, would be in an ideal position to step up to the top level.<\/p>\n
Similarly, Sergio Perez could look with eagerness at the seat that Kimi R\u00e4ikk\u00f6nen might leave vacant at Ferrari.<\/p>\n