After the team order controversy at the Canadian Grand Prix, Sergio Perez believes team-mate Esteban Ocon may have cost Force India the victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Before the race began, the team announced their two drivers were free to race, but they would make contact on the exit of Turn 2 while fighting Felipe Massa's Williams, with the Mexican squeezed against the wall by the Frenchman resulting in contact and dropping both men down the order.

Both were forced to pit, initially, it seemed Perez's race was over as he had broken a wishbone in the suspension as well as his front wing, though the red flag called soon after enabled the team to fix his car and resume the race.

At the time of the incident, the battle the two Force India's were in would become for the race win as penalties and problems hit those in front, leading to Perez's belief that a victory may have been possible.

“Yeah we were really close to the win today with all what happened afterwards we could’ve won today,” Perez claimed post-race. “We definitely had everything to be on the first step (of the podium) today.

“I’m very, very sad for my team because they’ve done a fantastic job working so hard. We ruin a great opportunity for the team and frankly, I feel I couldn’t have done anything to avoid the accident, I was next to the wall and there was no room for me to go. It’s a big shame.

“In all my career I’ve had team-mates I’ve fought really hard but always with room enough room not to do what happened today and I think what happened today is totally not acceptable for the team.”

Ocon was sorry too for his team but was satisfied with the comeback he was able to perform, running as high as third again at one stage before falling to sixth in the closing laps.

“[I’m] Happy with the performance and disappointing with the potential we had,” he said summing up the race.

“Obviously it’s never nice to get an incident like that in the race, and in the end, me and Checo lost a lot of places. I had the recovery which was quite nice at the end, still to get some points for the team, but we’ll discuss it internally and see what happened especially after Turn 1.

“I was on the inside for Turn 2. We touched again. Unfortunately it’s racing, it happens sometimes but we’ll see. We’re annoyed for what happened really. “

The 20-year-old was surprised to hear the claims of his teammate blaming him for the contact, however, and reassured the incident would be discussed internally to avoid any repeat.

“That’s what he said? Okay. If that’s what he said I’m not going to comment,” he said.

“But he touched me after Turn 1, and he went on. I don’t know if he saw me or not. For sure we will discuss it and it should not happen for the future.”