Force India: No regrets on Bahrain Grand Prix decision
Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley has no regrets about the decisions he took over the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, despite the controversy caused by his outfit not running in second practice
Amid concerns from his staff about leaving the Bahrain track after dark because of safety issues, Fernley agreed that Force India would not take part in Friday's second session so personnel could leave the track early.
And after bouncing back from that tough call to see Paul di Resta finish sixth in the race, Fernley has no doubts he did the right thing
"Of course it is satisfying, and it would be wrong to say it wasn't, but I am actually thrilled for the guys," Fernley told AUTOSPORT. "There was a bit of ridicule about what we did, but I think it proved correct over the weekend.
"I am pleased for them and pleased that we made decisions that were not easy to make. I don't think I've got any regrets at all. It was just unfortunate that we got hauled into everything the way we did, and there was enormous pressure because obviously we had the issues as you know.
"It was not received very well, but we had to be strong enough in what we did. In doing that, it meant we had a focused team and they delivered for us in the race."
Fernley admitted that there were aspects of the Bahrain GP weekend that were hard for him to deal with, but he says it was important he stood up for his staff.
"It was a very uncomfortable position and quite a lonely position at times," he said. "But the bottom line is that as a team, and I am sure our shareholders would agree, we have a duty of care for our employees. That is first and foremost before anything else happens. I believe we executed it properly.
"I feel we have come out of it correctly. I just think it was the right thing to do. It does not matter what the circumstances are, you should just do whatever is right for the team."
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments