1997 Formula One World Championship

(Redirected from 1997 Formula One Season)

The 1997 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 51st season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1997 Formula One World Championship for Drivers and the 1997 Formula One World Championship for Constructors, which were contested concurrently over a seventeen-race series that commenced on 9 March and ended on 26 October.

Jacques Villeneuve (pictured in 2002) won the championship in only his second year of F1 participation. He remains the last Williams driver to win a championship, the only Canadian driver to win a championship, and the last non-European driver to win a championship.
Villeneuve's teammate, Heinz-Harald Frentzen (pictured in 2006), was promoted to runner-up with 42 points following Michael Schumacher's disqualification from the standings at the end of the year. He had moved from Sauber to Williams for 1997.
David Coulthard (pictured in 1999), finished the season ranked third for McLaren.
Michael Schumacher (pictured in 1998) initially finished second in the championship, but was disqualified after colliding with Villeneuve during the last race.

The Drivers' Championship was won by Jacques Villeneuve under controversial circumstances: championship leader Michael Schumacher deliberately rammed him whilst trying to defend his race lead in the final race.[1] Schumacher came to a halt in the gravel while Villeneuve finished third, giving him enough points to secure the drivers' championship. Schumacher was later deemed at fault for the accident by the FIA. He kept his five race wins, but was stripped of all his points for the season, promoting Villeneuve's Williams teammate Heinz-Harald Frentzen to second in the championship.

The Constructors' Championship was awarded to Williams-Renault.

As of 2024, this is the last championship for a non-European driver, the last Constructors' and Drivers' championships for Williams, and the last championship won on Goodyear tyres. It was also the last championship for a Renault-powered driver, until Fernando Alonso's championship in 2005.

Teams and drivers

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The following teams and drivers competed in the 1997 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Entrant Constructor Chassis Engine Tyre No. Driver Rounds
  Danka Arrows Yamaha Arrows-Yamaha A18 Yamaha OX11C/D V10 B 1   Damon Hill All
2   Pedro Diniz All
  Rothmans Williams Renault Williams-Renault FW19 Renault RS9 V10
Renault RS9B V10
G 3   Jacques Villeneuve All
4   Heinz-Harald Frentzen All
  Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Ferrari F310B Ferrari 046/2 V10 G 5   Michael Schumacher All
6   Eddie Irvine All
  Mild Seven Benetton Renault Benetton-Renault B197 Renault RS9 V10
Renault RS9B V10
G 7   Jean Alesi All
8   Gerhard Berger 1–6, 10–17
  Alexander Wurz 7–9
  West McLaren Mercedes McLaren-Mercedes MP4/12 Mercedes FO110E V10
Mercedes FO110F V10
G 9   Mika Häkkinen All
10   David Coulthard All
  Benson & Hedges Jordan Peugeot Jordan-Peugeot 197 Peugeot A14 V10 G 11   Ralf Schumacher All
12   Giancarlo Fisichella All
  Prost Gauloises Blondes Prost-Mugen-Honda JS45 Mugen-Honda MF-301HB V10 B 14   Olivier Panis 1–7, 15–17
  Jarno Trulli 8–14
15   Shinji Nakano All
  Red Bull Sauber Petronas Sauber-Petronas C16 Petronas SPE-01 V10 G 16   Johnny Herbert All
17   Nicola Larini 1–5
  Gianni Morbidelli 6–7, 11–16
  Norberto Fontana 8–10, 17
  PIAA Tyrrell Ford Tyrrell-Ford 025 Ford ED4 V8
Ford ED5 V8
G 18   Jos Verstappen All
19   Mika Salo All
  Minardi Team Minardi-Hart M197 Hart 830 AV7 V8 B 20   Ukyo Katayama All
21   Jarno Trulli 1–7
  Tarso Marques 8–17
  HSBC Malaysia Stewart Ford Stewart-Ford SF01 Ford VJ Zetec-R V10 B 22   Rubens Barrichello All
23   Jan Magnussen All
  MasterCard Lola Formula One Racing Team Lola-Ford T97/30 Ford ECA Zetec-R V8 B 24   Vincenzo Sospiri 1
25   Ricardo Rosset 1
Sources:[2][3][4]
  • All engines were 3.0-litre configuration.[2]

Team changes

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Lola-Ford failed to qualify for their only Grand Prix appearance.
  • Stewart Grand Prix made their Formula One debut. They entered with factory backing of the Ford Motor Company.
  • Lola also entered the sport. They had planned to debut in 1998, but hurried through the design phase, under heavy commercial pressure from their title sponsor Mastercard. After both Lola drivers failed to qualify in the first race, sponsors left and the team had to withdraw from the championship.
  • After twenty years in the sport, Ligier was sold from Flavio Briatore to Alain Prost and became Prost.
  • Footwork reverted to the "Arrows" name after a buy-out by Tom Walkinshaw and switched from Hart engines to Yamaha.
  • Tyrrell changed their engines as well, swapping from Yamaha to Ford.
  • Sauber engaged in a partnership with new sponsor Petronas and formed Sauber Petronas Engineering. They secured the licensing rights to engine and gearbox components from Ferrari, allowing them to build and run nearly identical units to those used in the Ferraris. The engines were branded as Petronas, in deference to the role the company played in their development. This marked the first season since 1993 that Ferrari supplied engines to more than one team in the sport.
  • Finally, on the front of tyre suppliers, Bridgestone entered into F1 and supplied tyres to Arrows, Prost, Minardi, Stewart and Lola.

Driver changes

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Damon Hill found a seat at Arrows after having been let go by Williams.
 
New team Stewart Grand Prix signed Rubens Barrichello and Jan Magnussen.

The biggest news at the beginning of the 1997 season was Damon Hill, 1996 champion, being dropped by Williams in favour of Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Hill was partnered with Brazilian Pedro Diniz, signed from Ligier. This was the only time in Arrows' history that the team had the number 1 on their car after signing the reigning World Champion.

Arrows' former drivers Jos Verstappen and Ricardo Rosset joined the Tyrrell and Lola team, respectively. Rosset was joined by Benetton's test driver Vincenzo Sospiri.

Reliant on their Japanese engine partners Mugen-Honda, Japanese driver Shinji Nakano joined Prost besides Olivier Panis, who was retained from 1996.

Thanks in part to the technical deal between Sauber and Ferrari, Ferrari test driver Nicola Larini signed with Sauber. Larini replaced Frentzen, who had moved to Williams.

Jordan signed debutant Ralf Schumacher, Michael's younger brother. He was rumoured to be partnered with Nigel Mansell, but the 1992 champion rejected the offer. So the team went for Giancarlo Fisichella, who drove his first races for Minardi in 1996.

Jordan's former driver Rubens Barrichello moved to newcomer Stewart Grand Prix, with his 1996 ex-teammate Martin Brundle unable to find a seat for 1997 and reluctantly leaving the sport as a driver. Stewart also signed Jan Magnussen, who had filled in at McLaren for an unwell Mika Häkkinen in 1995 and had raced in the CART series in 1996.

Verstappen, moving from Arrows to Tyrrell, replaced Ukyo Katayama, who found a place at Minardi. Katayama replaced Pedro Lamy, who moved into the FIA GT Championship. Alongside him, Italian rising star Jarno Trulli filled the final seat in the 1997 championship.

The Italian team Forti ceased to exist midway through 1996, and neither of their drivers, Luca Badoer and Andrea Montermini, were able to find a Formula One racing seat for 1997. Badoer moved into FIA GT, while Montermini became a test driver for Lola. Badoer would eventually return to F1 in 1999 with Minardi.

Mid-season changes

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Calendar

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The following seventeen Grands Prix took place in 1997.[5]

Round Grand Prix Circuit Date
1 Australian Grand Prix   Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne 9 March
2 Brazilian Grand Prix   Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo 30 March
3 Argentine Grand Prix   Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Buenos Aires 13 April
4 San Marino Grand Prix   Autódromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola 27 April
5 Monaco Grand Prix   Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo 11 May
6 Spanish Grand Prix   Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló 25 May
7 Canadian Grand Prix   Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal 15 June
8 French Grand Prix   Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours 29 June
9 British Grand Prix   Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone 13 July
10 German Grand Prix   Hockenheimring, Hockenheim 27 July
11 Hungarian Grand Prix   Hungaroring, Mogyoród 10 August
12 Belgian Grand Prix   Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot 24 August
13 Italian Grand Prix   Autódromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza 7 September
14 Austrian Grand Prix   A1-Ring, Spielberg 21 September
15 Luxembourg Grand Prix   Nürburgring, Nürburg 28 September
16 Japanese Grand Prix   Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka 12 October
17 European Grand Prix   Circuito Permanente de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera 26 October[a]
Sources:[6][7]

Calendar changes

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Regulation changes

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Technical regulations

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Except for a more detailed description of the impact absorbing structures at the front and rear of the car, there were no changes for the 1997 season.[11]

Sporting and event regulations

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A revised Concorde agreement, laying out the rules for the 1997 to 2001 seasons, was signed by the FIA and eight of the eleven F1 teams that participated in the 1996 season.[12] These were some of the changes made to the sporting regulations:

  • The maximum number of races per year was increased to 17, up from 16.
  • Friday free practice was abolished. The Saturday practice sessions were extended to one hour each. The number of practice laps allowed was no longer limited. These changes seem to have been reversed at a later time, as the 1997 Sporting regulations still showed two practice sessions, two days before the race, and a limit of 30 laps per day.[13])
  • Two tyre choices were permitted in practice, but one had to be selected to use in qualifying and race.

From this season on, the regulations gave room for starts behind the Safety Car if the track was wet.[14][15]

Season summary

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Rounds 1 to 4

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The season started in Australia, with Canadian Jacques Villeneuve taking the first pole position of the season. The moment was short-lived, however, as Villeneuve was out of the race at the first corner, when he collided with Johnny Herbert. McLaren's David Coulthard went on to win the race, the second of his career, with Michael Schumacher finishing second and Mika Häkkinen finishing in third place.

Villeneuve once again took pole position in Brazil, and once again he was off at the first corner. Luckily for him, the race was restarted, and the Canadian took the lead on lap 49 from Gerhard Berger. The Austrian finished second and Olivier Panis continued his impressive form from 1996 with third place.

For the third time in a row, Jacques Villeneuve took pole position in Argentina. This time, it was Michael Schumacher who was out at the first turn, when he collided with Rubens Barrichello. Schumacher's teammate Eddie Irvine went on to challenge Villeneuve for the lead and he made several attempts to pass, but failed and had to settle for second. Debutant Ralf Schumacher managed to get onto the podium in third place.

Villeneuve continued his run of consecutive pole positions in San Marino, but it was his German teammate Frentzen that won his first and only Grand Prix for Williams. After Villeneuve retired with a gearbox failure, Frentzen was joined on the podium by the Ferraris of Schumacher and Irvine.

At this point, Villeneuve was on top of the standings with 20 points. He was followed by Schumacher with 14 and five drivers in a shared third place, all with 10 points.

Rounds 5 to 9

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Heinz-Harald Frentzen managed to end Jacques Villeneuve's run of pole positions at the Monaco Grand Prix. For the second time in successive seasons, the race was run in very wet conditions. Michael Schumacher won his first race of the season. Rubens Barrichello came home in second and gave Stewart not only their first podium finish, but their first points finish and their first finish of any kind. Schumacher's teammate Eddie Irvine took the final step on the podium for the second time in a row.

In Spain, Williams was back on top in qualifying: Villeneuve took his fifth pole and Frentzen joined him on the front row. Villeneuve went on to win the race, with fellow French-speaking drivers, Olivier Panis and Jean Alesi, coming second and third respectively. Panis was actually closing on the leader with rapid pace, but got held up by Irvine, which got him served a stop-go penalty.

In a slight shift of power, Michael Schumacher took pole position and the race win in the next two Grands Prix. In Canada, he was joined on the podium by Benetton's Jean Alesi and Jordan's Giancarlo Fisichella. In France, he saw Frentzen in the Williams and teammate Irvine next to him.

Villeneuve earned his sixth pole position of the season in Britain, with teammate Frentzen partnering him on the front row. Villeneuve saw Mika Häkkinen take the lead when he was stuck in the pit lane for half a minute. Häkkinen, however, retired with a blown engine and Villeneuve went on to win the race, with Alesi in second and Alexander Wurz, filling in for Gerhard Berger, coming third. It was an all-Renault-powered podium. Schumacher failed to complete the race after he retired with a wheel bearing problem.

In the championship, Schumacher had the lead with 47 points, closely followed by Villeneuve with 43. Third place was being contested by Alesi (21 points) , Frentzen (19) and Irvine (18).

Rounds 10 to 14

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On his return, Gerhard Berger managed to get pole for the German Grand Prix. Fastest lap and race victory followed, which would ultimately be Berger's and Benetton's final win. Championship leader Michael Schumacher came second and Mika Häkkinen came third.

The next race, in Hungary, was one of the most memorable races in the 1997 season. Schumacher took pole, with Villeneuve partnering him on the front row. 1996 champion Damon Hill in the Arrows had only qualified as high as ninth this season, but got up to third place on the Hungaroring. The start of the race saw Hill overtake the Williams ahead of him, and on lap ten, the Brit overtook the leading Scuderia Ferrari. Hill kept the lead until the last part of the race, when he reported that problems with his car. On the final lap, Jacques Villeneuve took the lead, achieving a milestone 100th Grand Prix victory for Williams.

After two very exciting Grands Prix, the fans' hopes were high for Belgium. Villeneuve took pole position, with Alesi in the Benetton behind him and his championship rival, Michael Schumacher, in third. Villeneuve had dominated the morning warm-up, held in hot, dry weather. But when heavy rain fell with half an hour to go before the race start, his championship rival, Michael Schumacher, decided to run his spare car, which was set up for wet conditions. The front two started the race on full-wet tyres, while the rest of the grid used the intermediates. This turned out to be the right call. After the first safety car start in Formula One history, Schumacher overtook Alesi and Villeneuve within two laps and by lap 12, his lead had stretched to over a minute. Villeneuve dropped down to 16th place and only recovered to fifth. Schumacher won and saw Giancarlo Fisichella and Heinz-Harald Frentzen next to him on the podium.

Alesi scored his first and only pole position of the season in Italy, with Frentzen starting second. Villeneuve and Schumacher took off in fourth and ninth, respectively. Coulthard, who started in sixth, got up to third position at the start and moved into the lead during the pit stops. He scored his second win of the season, ahead of Alesi and Frentzen. This was the only race in the year without Villeneuve and Schumacher on the podium.

In Austria, Villeneuve managed to get his seventh pole position of the season. The Canadian was partnered on the front row by Finnish driver Mika Häkkinen. Häkkinen actually took the lead but, like it happened at Silverstone, had to retire with a blown engine. Schumacher had again started in ninth, but recovered to third during the race. However, he was handed a stop-go penalty for overtaking under yellow flags and fell down to sixth at the finish. Villeneuve went on to win the Grand Prix, with Coulthard and Frentzen joining him on the podium.

The gap between the championship rivals had now closed up to just one point. Frentzen (31 points) was fighting Coulthard (30) and Alesi (28) over third place.

Rounds 15 to 17

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At the Luxembourg Grand Prix, held at the Nürburgring in Germany, Mika Häkkinen managed to earn pole. It was his first career pole, McLaren's first pole since 1993 and Mercedes's first since their return to Formula One in 1994. Ferrari's Michael Schumacher started in fifth, but was taken out at the first corner. Häkkinen's teammate David Coulthard shot up the order and McLaren looked set for a 1–2 finish, until both cars broke down in quick succession. Williams' Jacques Villeneuve was therefore gifted a win (which would end up to be the last of his career). For the first time since Spain, Villeneuve now had the lead in the championship. Jean Alesi and Heinz-Harald Frentzen completed the podium, making it, for the second time in the 1997 season, an all-Renault-powered podium.

Villeneuve continued his strong form by taking his eighth pole position in the year in Japan. However, during qualifying, he was deemed to have ignored the yellow flags. A disqualification hang over him and with his appeal being judged, he started the race and finished fifth. Michael Schumacher won the race, ahead of Williams' Frentzen and Ferrari teammate Eddie Irvine. Williams dropped their appeal after the race, leaving Japan with no points for Villeneuve and seeing Schumacher again one point ahead in the Drivers' Championship.

The European Grand Prix at Jerez saw a noteworthy qualifying session in which three drivers (Villeneuve, Schumacher, and Frentzen) all set the same fastest time. Villeneuve was awarded pole position, since he had set the time first, and this would be the final pole of his F1 career. At the start of the race, Schumacher got away well, overtaking Villeneuve to take the lead. By lap 48, Villeneuve was catching up and attempted to overtake. Braking later than the German at the Dry Sac corner, he had the inside line and was slightly ahead. Schumacher then turned into him and the Ferrari's front right wheel connected with the sidepod of the Williams. Schumacher retired on the spot. Villeneuve dropped to third, but it earned him four points, enough to take the 1997 Drivers' Championship. Mika Häkkinen went on to take his first ever career victory and with Coulthard finishing second, McLaren scored the only 1-2 finish by a team during the 1997 season.

After the race, Schumacher was deemed by the FIA to have caused an avoidable accident and was disqualified from the championship, although his race results (grid positions, finishing positions, points) were held up. This meant no damage to Ferrari's constructor points, but Williams still won the 1997 Constructors' Championship with a difference of 21 points. In the Drivers' Championship, Frentzen moved up to second, six points ahead of both Coulthard and Alesi.

Results and standings

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Grands Prix

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Round Grand Prix Pole position Fastest lap Winning driver Constructor Report
1   Australian Grand Prix   Jacques Villeneuve   Heinz-Harald Frentzen   David Coulthard   McLaren-Mercedes Report
2   Brazilian Grand Prix   Jacques Villeneuve   Jacques Villeneuve   Jacques Villeneuve   Williams-Renault Report
3   Argentine Grand Prix   Jacques Villeneuve   Gerhard Berger   Jacques Villeneuve   Williams-Renault Report
4   San Marino Grand Prix   Jacques Villeneuve   Heinz-Harald Frentzen   Heinz-Harald Frentzen   Williams-Renault Report
5   Monaco Grand Prix   Heinz-Harald Frentzen   Michael Schumacher   Michael Schumacher   Ferrari Report
6   Spanish Grand Prix   Jacques Villeneuve   Giancarlo Fisichella   Jacques Villeneuve   Williams-Renault Report
7   Canadian Grand Prix   Michael Schumacher   David Coulthard   Michael Schumacher   Ferrari Report
8   French Grand Prix   Michael Schumacher   Michael Schumacher   Michael Schumacher   Ferrari Report
9   British Grand Prix   Jacques Villeneuve   Michael Schumacher   Jacques Villeneuve   Williams-Renault Report
10   German Grand Prix   Gerhard Berger   Gerhard Berger   Gerhard Berger   Benetton-Renault Report
11   Hungarian Grand Prix   Michael Schumacher   Heinz-Harald Frentzen   Jacques Villeneuve   Williams-Renault Report
12   Belgian Grand Prix   Jacques Villeneuve   Jacques Villeneuve   Michael Schumacher   Ferrari Report
13   Italian Grand Prix   Jean Alesi   Mika Häkkinen   David Coulthard   McLaren-Mercedes Report
14   Austrian Grand Prix   Jacques Villeneuve   Jacques Villeneuve   Jacques Villeneuve   Williams-Renault Report
15   Luxembourg Grand Prix   Mika Häkkinen   Heinz-Harald Frentzen   Jacques Villeneuve   Williams-Renault Report
16   Japanese Grand Prix   Jacques Villeneuve   Heinz-Harald Frentzen   Michael Schumacher   Ferrari Report
17   European Grand Prix   Jacques Villeneuve   Heinz-Harald Frentzen   Mika Häkkinen   McLaren-Mercedes Report
Source:[16]

Scoring system

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Points were awarded to the top six finishers in each race as follows:[17]

Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th 
Points 10 6 4 3 2 1

World Drivers' Championship standings

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Pos. Driver AUS
 
BRA
 
ARG
 
SMR
 
MON
 
ESP
 
CAN
 
FRA
 
GBR
 
GER
 
HUN
 
BEL
 
ITA
 
AUT
 
LUX
 
JPN
 
EUR
 
Points
1   Jacques Villeneuve RetP 1PF 1P RetP Ret 1P Ret 4 1P Ret 1 5PF 5 1PF 1 DSQP 3P 81
2   Heinz-Harald Frentzen 8F 9 Ret 1F RetP 8 4 2 Ret Ret RetF 3 3 3 3F 2F 6F 42
3   David Coulthard 1 10 Ret Ret Ret 6 7F 7 4 Ret Ret Ret 1 2 Ret 10 2 36
4   Jean Alesi Ret 6 7 5 Ret 3 2 5 2 6 11 8 2P Ret 2 5 13 36
5   Gerhard Berger 4 2 6F Ret 9 10 1PF 8 6 7 10 4 8 4 27
6   Mika Häkkinen 3 4 5 6 Ret 7 Ret Ret Ret 3 Ret DSQ 9F Ret RetP 4 1 27
7   Eddie Irvine Ret 16 2 3 3 12 Ret 3 Ret Ret 9 10 8 Ret Ret 3 5 24
8   Giancarlo Fisichella Ret 8 Ret 4 6 9F 3 9 7 11 Ret 2 4 4 Ret 7 11 20
9   Olivier Panis 5 3 Ret 8 4 2 11 6 Ret 7 16
10   Johnny Herbert Ret 7 4 Ret Ret 5 5 8 Ret Ret 3 4 Ret 8 7 6 8 15
11   Ralf Schumacher Ret Ret 3 Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 5 5 5 Ret Ret 5 Ret 9 Ret 13
12   Damon Hill DNS 17 Ret Ret Ret Ret 9 12 6 8 2 13 Ret 7 8 11 Ret 7
13   Rubens Barrichello Ret Ret Ret Ret 2 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 13 14 Ret Ret Ret 6
14   Alexander Wurz Ret Ret 3 4
15   Jarno Trulli 9 12 9 DNS Ret 15 Ret 10 8 4 7 15 10 Ret 3
16   Pedro Diniz 10 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 8 Ret Ret Ret Ret 7 Ret 13 5 12 Ret 2
=   Mika Salo Ret 13 8 9 5 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 13 11 Ret Ret 10 Ret 12 2
18   Shinji Nakano 7 14 Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 Ret 11 7 6 Ret 11 Ret Ret Ret 10 2
19   Nicola Larini 6 11 Ret 7 Ret 1
 —   Jan Magnussen Ret DNS 10 Ret 7 13 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 12 Ret Ret Ret Ret 9 0
 —   Jos Verstappen Ret 15 Ret 10 8 11 Ret Ret Ret 10 Ret Ret Ret 12 Ret 13 16 0
 —   Gianni Morbidelli 14 10 Ret 9 12 9 9 DNS 0
 —   Norberto Fontana Ret 9 9 14 0
 —   Ukyo Katayama Ret 18 Ret 11 10 Ret Ret 11 Ret Ret 10 14 Ret 11 Ret Ret 17 0
 —   Tarso Marques Ret 10 Ret 12 Ret 14 EX Ret Ret 15 0
 —   Vincenzo Sospiri DNQ 0
 —   Ricardo Rosset DNQ 0
DSQ   Michael Schumacher 2 5 Ret 2 1F 4 1P 1PF RetF 2 4P 1 6 6 Ret 1 Ret 78[b]
Pos. Driver AUS
 
BRA
 
ARG
 
SMR
 
MON
 
ESP
 
CAN
 
FRA
 
GBR
 
GER
 
HUN
 
BEL
 
ITA
 
AUT
 
LUX
 
JPN
 
EUR
 
Points
Source:[19]
Key
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Other points position
Blue Other classified position
Not classified, finished (NC)
Purple Not classified, retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Excluded (EX)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Withdrawn (WD)
Did not enter (empty cell)
Annotation Meaning
P Pole position
F Fastest lap


Notes:

  • † – Driver did not finish the Grand Prix but was classified, as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.
  • Drivers who did not score points were not classified in a championship position by the FIA.[19]

World Constructors' Championship standings

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Williams-Renault won the Constructors' Championship with the FW19.
 
Despite Schumacher's disqualification, Ferrari finished second in the Constructors' Championship with the F310B.
 
Benetton-Renault finished third with the B197.
Pos. Constructor No. AUS
 
BRA
 
ARG
 
SMR
 
MON
 
ESP
 
CAN
 
FRA
 
GBR
 
GER
 
HUN
 
BEL
 
ITA
 
AUT
 
LUX
 
JPN
 
EUR
 
Points
1   Williams-Renault 3 RetP 1PF 1P RetP Ret 1P Ret 4 1P Ret 1 5PF 5 1PF 1 DSQP 3P 123
4 8F 9 Ret 1F RetP 8 4 2 Ret Ret RetF 3 3 3 3F 2F 6F
2   Ferrari 5 2 5 Ret 2 1F 4 1P 1PF RetF 2 4P 1 6 6 Ret 1 Ret 102
6 Ret 16 2 3 3 12 Ret 3 Ret Ret 9 10 8 Ret Ret 3 5
3   Benetton-Renault 7 Ret 6 7 5 Ret 3 2 5 2 6 11 8 2P Ret 2 5 13 67
8 4 2 6F Ret 9 10 Ret Ret 3 1PF 8 6 7 10 4 8 4
4   McLaren-Mercedes 9 3 4 5 6 Ret 7 Ret Ret Ret 3 Ret DSQ 9F Ret RetP 4 1 63
10 1 10 Ret Ret Ret 6 7F 7 4 Ret Ret Ret 1 2 Ret 10 2
5   Jordan-Peugeot 11 Ret Ret 3 Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 5 5 5 Ret Ret 5 Ret 9 Ret 33
12 Ret 8 Ret 4 6 9F 3 9 7 11 Ret 2 4 4 Ret 7 11
6   Prost-Mugen-Honda 14 5 3 Ret 8 4 2 11 10 8 4 7 15 10 Ret 6 Ret 7 21
15 7 14 Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 Ret 11 7 6 Ret 11 Ret Ret Ret 10
7   Sauber-Petronas 16 Ret 7 4 Ret Ret 5 5 8 Ret Ret 3 4 Ret 8 7 6 8 16
17 6 11 Ret 7 Ret 14 10 Ret 9 9 Ret 9 12 9 9 DNS 14
8   Arrows-Yamaha 1 DNS 17 Ret Ret Ret Ret 9 12 6 8 2 13 Ret 7 8 11 Ret 9
2 10 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 8 Ret Ret Ret Ret 7 Ret 13 5 12 Ret
9   Stewart-Ford 22 Ret Ret Ret Ret 2 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 13 14 Ret Ret Ret 6
23 Ret DNS 10 Ret 7 13 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 12 Ret Ret Ret Ret 9
10   Tyrrell-Ford 18 Ret 15 Ret 10 8 11 Ret Ret Ret 10 Ret Ret Ret 12 Ret 13 16 2
19 Ret 13 8 9 5 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 13 11 Ret Ret 10 Ret 12
 —   Minardi-Hart 20 Ret 18 Ret 11 10 Ret Ret 11 Ret Ret 10 14 Ret 11 Ret Ret 17 0
21 9 12 9 Ret Ret 15 Ret Ret 10 Ret 12 Ret 14 EX Ret Ret 15
 —   Lola-Ford 24 DNQ 0
25 DNQ
Pos. Constructor No. AUS
 
BRA
 
ARG
 
SMR
 
MON
 
ESP
 
CAN
 
FRA
 
GBR
 
GER
 
HUN
 
BEL
 
ITA
 
AUT
 
LUX
 
JPN
 
EUR
 
Points
Source:[20]

Notes:

  • † – Driver did not finish the Grand Prix but was classified, as he completed more than 90% of the race distance.
  • Constructors that did not score points were not classified in a championship position by the FIA.[20]

Notes

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  1. ^ The European Grand Prix was not on the original 1997 Formula One Calendar, but it was added into the calendar on the date of 26 October as a replacement for the Portuguese Grand Prix.
  2. ^ Michael Schumacher was excluded from the results of the Drivers' Championship due to dangerous driving in the European Grand Prix, where he was deemed to have caused an avoidable collision with Jacques Villeneuve. The exclusion did not affect the results of the Constructors' Championship. Schumacher retained his points and race wins achieved during the 1997 season. He remains the only driver to be disqualified from a Formula One Drivers' Championship.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "BBC News - Europe - Schumacher loses championship runner-up crown". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b Domenjoz, Luc (1997). Formula 1 Yearbook – 1997–98 (8th ed.). Parragon. pp. 18–40. ISBN 0-7525-2386-4 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ "Models in 1997". StatsF1. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  4. ^ Henry, Alan, ed. (10 January 1998). Autocourse 1997–1998. Hazleton Publishing. pp. 106–107, 114. ISBN 1-874557-47-0 – via Internet Archive.
  5. ^ a b "1997 FIA Formula One World Championship Provisional Circuit & Race Start Time Information" (PDF). FIA.com. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 19 February 1997. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 March 2005. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  6. ^ "Formula One Calendar 1997". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  7. ^ "1997". ChicaneF1. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Grand Prix Results: Austrian GP, 1997". Grandprix.com. Inside F1. 21 September 1997. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Amendment to 1997 FIA Formula One World Championship Calendar" (PDF). FIA.com. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 15 May 1997. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 March 2005. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  10. ^ "The 1997 F1 Calendar". Grandprix.com. Inside F1. 9 December 1996. Archived from the original on 18 March 2016.
  11. ^ Alan Mynard (8 May 1996). "1996-1998 technical regulations changes". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  12. ^ "Major changes for 1997 season". Motorsport.com. 8 May 1996. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  13. ^ "FIA Formula One World Championship 1997 Sporting Regulations". Jomenvisst.de. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  14. ^ Steven de Grootte (1 January 2009). "F1 rules and stats 1990-1999". F1Technical. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  15. ^ "Safety Improvements in F1 since 1963". AtlasF1. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  16. ^ "Formula One Results 1997". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  17. ^ Diepraam, Mattijs; Fisher, Alun (4 June 2023). "Total World Championship points". 8W. Forix. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
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  19. ^ a b 1997 FIA Formula One World Championship – Drivers Retrieved from www.fia.com via web.archive.org on 12 August 2018
  20. ^ a b 1997 FIA Formula One World Championship – Constructors Retrieved from www.fia.com via web.archive.org on 30 July 2012
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