Robert Fernley says there is no animosity towards Sergio Pérez despite the Mexican’s management company taking the action that forced the Sahara Force India F1 Team to go into administration this week.
Pérez has not been paid recently and has taken the action through his management company Brockstone, along with his manager Julian Jakobi, but Fernley, the deputy team principal of the Silverstone-based team, says he has no issues with Pérez’s actions, as it is his right to be paid under the terms of his contract.
“There can’t be any animosity,” said Fernley to Autosport. “Whatever happens, like everybody else, Checo is entitled to be paid.
“Unfortunately we were not in a position to be able to pay him, and patience runs out for everybody. So, that’s a process. I don’t think we in any way look negatively at him.
“The responsibility for payment is on the team, not on Checo. He’s been put in a difficult position. I think we have to respect his position, and not criticise it.”
Fernley says this administration period could ultimately turn out to be good for the team as they bid to secure their future with additional backing, with the likes of Lawrence Stroll, the father of current Williams Martini Racing driver Lance Stroll, being linked with an investment in the team.
“The first thing to say is that the current shareholders have done everything in their power to try to stabilise the company and to find investment, and to move forward to take the team where they wanted to take it,” said Fernley. “Unfortunately that didn’t work out.”
“We’ve got to recognise what Vijay [Mallya, current team owner]’s done. In 10 years he’s taken the team from a really bad state of health into something that was competitive.
“It’s just unfortunate that circumstances have not allowed him to continue.”
