1997 Japanese Grand Prix

The 1997 Japanese Grand Prix (officially known as the XXIII Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 12 October 1997 at the Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka. It was the 16th and penultimate race of the 1997 Formula One season.[1] The 53-lap race was won by Michael Schumacher for the Ferrari team after starting from second position. Heinz-Harald Frentzen finished second in a Williams, and Eddie Irvine third in the other Ferrari.[4] Irvine led much of the race before moving over to assist Schumacher's championship battle by blocking Drivers' Championship leader Jacques Villeneuve.

1997 Japanese Grand Prix
Race 16 of 17 in the 1997 Formula One World Championship
Race details
Date 12 October 1997
Official name XXIII Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix
Location Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Mie, Japan
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 5.860 km (3.641 mi)
Distance 53 laps, 310.596[1] km (192.995 mi)
Weather Sunny[1]
Pole position
Driver
Williams-Renault
Time 1:36.071[2]
Fastest lap
Driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen Williams-Renault
Time 1:38.942 on lap 48[3]
Podium
First
Ferrari
Second
Williams-Renault
Third
Ferrari

Villeneuve started on pole position in a Williams car. Before the race, it emerged that Villeneuve had been put to the back of the grid, for having ignored waved yellow flags on two consecutive laps during a practice session for the race. Williams appealed and Villeneuve started from the pole. He drove a conservative race to finish 5th, gaining two points. After the race, Williams withdrew their appeal, meaning he lost the two points he originally earned.[5][6] Schumacher's win put him in front of Villeneuve in the championship on 78 points, with Villeneuve on 77 points.[1] However, as a result of Frentzen finishing second, Williams clinched the Constructors' Championship as Ferrari could not pass their points total with only one race remaining.[7] This race was the last for Gianni Morbidelli.

Report

Practice and qualifying

For each race in the 1997 Formula One season there were four practice sessions; two sessions on Friday and two sessions on Saturday morning. The practice sessions on Friday lasted an hour and the practice sessions on Saturday lasted 45 minutes.[8]

"I clearly saw the yellow flag. If they had been waved in a corner, I would have slowed down. But on a straight it was not necessary."

Jacques Villeneuve, commenting on not slowing down under a yellow flag zone during the first Saturday practice session.[2]

In the first practice session on Saturday morning, an incident occurred 30 minutes into the session. Jos Verstappen in a Tyrrell car pulled over to the side of the track with a fuel pick-up problem. The track marshals as a result waved yellow flags meaning that drivers should slow down at that part of the track. Despite the yellow flags, nine drivers, including Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve, never slowed down. Villeneuve in the process, set his fastest time of the session on that lap.[2]

Villeneuve set pole position with a time of 1:36.071, half a tenth faster than Schumacher, who was second in the Ferrari setting a time of 1:36.133. Schumacher's team-mate, Eddie Irvine, qualified third, four tenths behind Villeneuve. McLaren driver Mika Häkkinen rounded out the top four, only three thousands of a second behind Irvine. The Benetton drivers were fifth and seventh; Gerhard Berger ahead of Jean Alesi. Heinz-Harald Frentzen in a Williams split the two in sixth, six tenths behind Villeneuve.[2]

Classification

Qualifying
PosNoDriverConstructorTimeGap
1 3 Jacques Villeneuve Williams-Renault 1:36.071
2 5 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:36.133 +0.062
3 6 Eddie Irvine Ferrari 1:36.466 +0.395
4 9 Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes 1:36.469 +0.398
5 8 Gerhard Berger Benetton-Renault 1:36.561 +0.490
6 4 Heinz-Harald Frentzen Williams-Renault 1:36.628 +0.557
7 7 Jean Alesi Benetton-Renault 1:36.682 +0.611
8 16 Johnny Herbert Sauber-Petronas 1:36.906 +0.835
9 12 Giancarlo Fisichella Jordan-Peugeot 1:36.917 +0.846
10 14 Olivier Panis Prost-Mugen-Honda 1:37.073 +1.002
11 10 David Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes 1:37.095 +1.024
12 22 Rubens Barrichello Stewart-Ford 1:37.343 +1.272
13 11 Ralf Schumacher Jordan-Peugeot 1:37.443 +1.372
14 23 Jan Magnussen Stewart-Ford 1:37.480 +1.409
15 15 Shinji Nakano Prost-Mugen-Honda 1:37.588 +1.517
16 2 Pedro Diniz Arrows-Yamaha 1:37.853 +1.782
17 1 Damon Hill Arrows-Yamaha 1:38.022 +1.951
18 17 Gianni Morbidelli Sauber-Petronas 1:38.556 +2.485
19 20 Ukyo Katayama Minardi-Hart 1:38.983 +2.912
20 21 Tarso Marques Minardi-Hart 1:39.678 +3.607
21 18 Jos Verstappen Tyrrell-Ford 1:40.259 +4.188
22 19 Mika Salo Tyrrell-Ford 1:40.529 +4.458
107% time: 1:42.796
Source:[9]

Race
PosNoDriverConstructorLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
1 5 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 53 1:29:48.446 2 10
2 4 Heinz-Harald Frentzen Williams-Renault 53 +1.378 6 6
3 6 Eddie Irvine Ferrari 53 +26.384 3 4
4 9 Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes 53 +27.129 4 3
5 7 Jean Alesi Benetton-Renault 53 +40.403 7 2
6 16 Johnny Herbert Sauber-Petronas 53 +41.630 8 1
7 12 Giancarlo Fisichella Jordan-Peugeot 53 +56.825 9  
8 8 Gerhard Berger Benetton-Renault 53 +1:00.429 5  
9 11 Ralf Schumacher Jordan-Peugeot 53 +1:22.036 13  
10 10 David Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes 52 Engine 11  
11 1 Damon Hill Arrows-Yamaha 52 +1 lap 17  
12 2 Pedro Diniz Arrows-Yamaha 52 +1 lap 16  
13 18 Jos Verstappen Tyrrell-Ford 52 +1 lap 21  
Ret 21 Tarso Marques Minardi-Hart 46 Gearbox 20  
Ret 19 Mika Salo Tyrrell-Ford 46 Engine 22  
Ret 14 Olivier Panis Prost-Mugen-Honda 36 Engine 10  
Ret 15 Shinji Nakano Prost-Mugen-Honda 22 Wheel bearing 15  
Ret 20 Ukyo Katayama Minardi-Hart 8 Engine 19  
Ret 22 Rubens Barrichello Stewart-Ford 6 Spun off 12  
Ret 23 Jan Magnussen Stewart-Ford 3 Spun off 14  
DSQ 3 Jacques Villeneuve Williams-Renault 53 Ignored yellow flags during practice 1  
DNS 17 Gianni Morbidelli Sauber-Petronas 0 Injury 18  
Source:[4]

Notes
  • Michael Schumacher equals Jackie Stewart's number of wins in his century race.
  • Gianni Morbidelli did not start the race due to injury.

Championship standings after the race

Note, only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.

References
  1. Domenjoz, Luc (1997). Formula 1 Yearbook - 1997-98 (8th ed.). Parragon. p. 209. ISBN 0-7525-2386-4.
  2. Domenjoz, Luc (1997). Formula 1 Yearbook - 1997-98 (8th ed.). Parragon. p. 204. ISBN 0-7525-2386-4.
  3. Domenjoz, Luc (1997). Formula 1 Yearbook - 1997-98 (8th ed.). Parragon. p. 205. ISBN 0-7525-2386-4.
  4. "1997 Japanese Grand Prix". formula1.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  5. "Villeneuve in trouble". GrandPrix.com. 1997-10-13. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  6. "Williams drops its appeal". GrandPrix.com. 1997-10-20. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  7. "Grand Prix Results: Japanese GP, 1997". GrandPrix.com. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  8. Domenjoz, Luc (1997). Formula 1 Yearbook - 1997-98 (8th ed.). Parragon. p. 220. ISBN 0-7525-2386-4.
  9. "Japan 1997 - Qualifications". StatsF1. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  10. "Japan 1997 - Championship • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
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1997 European Grand Prix
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