Luxembourg Grand Prix

The Luxembourg Grand Prix (German: Großer Preis von Luxemburg) was the name given to two races of the FIA Formula One World Championship, held in 1997 and 1998. Both races were held in Germany at the Nürburgring[lower-alpha 1], which is located some 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the Germany–Luxembourg border.

Luxembourg Grand Prix
Nürburgring (Germany)
Race information
Number of times held6
First held1949
Last held1998
Most wins (drivers)No repeat winners                   
Most wins (constructors) Cooper (2)
Ferrari (2)
Circuit length4.556 km (2.83 mi)
Race length305.252 km (189.66 mi)
Laps67
Last race (1998)
Pole position
Podium
Fastest lap

The Luxembourg title was chosen in 1997 as the Hockenheimring was already contracted to host the German Grand Prix. The Nürburgring had previously hosted the European Grand Prix in 1995 and 1996, but it was renamed due to other changes in the 1997 schedule. Following the cancellation of the Portuguese Grand Prix, a second race in Spain was added, with Jerez hosting the European Grand Prix along with the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona. Jerez was due to host the race again in 1998, but the rights to the European Grand Prix had been revoked from the organisers of the race after an incident on the podium in 1997. In 1999 the Nürburgring race returned to using the European Grand Prix title, which it held every year until 2007.

History

1997
Main article: 1997 Luxembourg Grand Prix

As it was, the Luxembourg Grand Prix provided a moment in history, as Renault-powered cars took the first four places at the finish with Jacques Villeneuve (Williams-Renault) taking first place. The race was also Villeneuve's final Formula One victory.

For a long time it looked as if Mika Häkkinen would take his first Formula One win as he pulled away at the front from his McLaren teammate David Coulthard. However, in the space of one lap, both McLarens had pulled out of the race with blown engines allowing Villeneuve to move close to an eventual World Championship. Michael Schumacher's race was over by the end of the first lap after his brother Ralf Schumacher collided with his teammate Giancarlo Fisichella at the first corner; this caused immediate retirement for three out of the four cars involved (Ralf, Fisichella, and Ukyo Katayama), and also caused suspension damage to the fourth car (Michael Schumacher's Ferrari) which also led to its retirement two laps later.

1998
Main article: 1998 Luxembourg Grand Prix

1998 saw Mika Häkkinen gain revenge for his engine failure at the previous race by taking victory at this one, with Michael Schumacher second despite qualifying on pole, and Häkkinen's teammate Coulthard third. Häkkinen also, like Villeneuve the year prior, went on to win the World Championship in the final race of the season at Suzuka; this meant that every winner of the Luxembourg GP went on to win that year's World Championship.

Official names and sponsors
  • 1997: Grosser Preis von Luxemburg (no official sponsor)[1]
  • 1998: Großer Warsteiner Preis von Luxemburg[2]

Winners of the Luxembourg Grand Prix

A pink background indicates an event which was not part of the Formula One World Championship.

Year Driver Constructor Location Report
1949 Luigi Villoresi[3] Ferrari Findel Report
1950 Alberto Ascari[4] Ferrari Report
1951 Alan Brown[5] Cooper-Norton Report
1952 Les Leston[6] Cooper-Norton Report
1952
–
1996		 Not held
1997 Jacques Villeneuve Williams-Renault Nürburgring GP-Strecke Report
1998 Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes Report

Notes
  1. All Formula One Grands Prix held at the Nürburgring since 1984 have used the 5 km (3.1 mi) long GP-Strecke and not the 21 km (13 mi) long Nordschleife, which was last used by Formula One in 1976.

References
  1. "1997 Formula 1 World Championship Programmes | The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". www.progcovers.com.
  2. "1998 Formula 1 World Championship Programmes | The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". www.progcovers.com.
  3. "Villoresi, Luigi". Autocourse Grand Prix Archive. Archived from the original on 21 December 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2008.
  4. "Non Championship Races 1950". World Sports Racing Prototypes. Archived from the original on 25 April 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2008.
  5. "Amicale de la Voiture Historique" (in French). Automobile Club du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  6. "500cc Formula 3 Results (All Others)". 500 Owners Association. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
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