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The 1997 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 26, 1997 at the Circuito Permanente de Jerez. It was the 17th and final race of the 1997 Formula One season. The race is remembered for an incident involving the two title contenders Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher which forced Schumacher to retire. The blame for the incident was later placed on Schumacher by the sport's governing body, the FIA. Image File history File links European_flag. ...
This article recaps the 1997 Formula One season. ...
October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ...
1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Circuito Permante de Jerez is a 4,428 m (2. ...
see: Jerez de la Frontera Jerez was a small independent emirate created c. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada. ...
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve (born April 9, 1971) is a Canadian automobile racing driver, and winner of Formula One (1997) and Champ Car championships and the Indianapolis 500, one of only three drivers to accomplish all three feats (the others being Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti). ...
WilliamsF1, formerly Williams Grand Prix Engineering, is a Formula 1 (F1) motor racing team formed and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ...
Heinz-Harald Frentzen, born May 18, 1967, is a German racing driver most famous for his career in Formula One. ...
WilliamsF1, formerly Williams Grand Prix Engineering, is a Formula 1 (F1) motor racing team formed and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Finland_(bordered). ...
Mika Häkkinen at the 2000 United States Grand Prix Mika Pauli Häkkinen (b. ...
McLaren, founded in 1963 by Bruce McLaren (1937â1970), is a racing team based in Woking, England, which is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed in the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, Canadian-American Challenge Cup, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ...
David Marshall Coulthard (born March 27, 1971 in Twynholm, Dumfries and Galloway), is a Scottish Formula One racing driver for Red Bull Racing. ...
McLaren, founded in 1963 by Bruce McLaren (1937â1970), is a racing team based in Woking, England, which is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed in the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, Canadian-American Challenge Cup, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada. ...
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve (born April 9, 1971) is a Canadian automobile racing driver, and winner of Formula One (1997) and Champ Car championships and the Indianapolis 500, one of only three drivers to accomplish all three feats (the others being Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti). ...
WilliamsF1, formerly Williams Grand Prix Engineering, is a Formula 1 (F1) motor racing team formed and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. ...
Formula One - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...
Circuito Permante de Jerez is a 4,428 m (2. ...
This article recaps the 1997 Formula One season. ...
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve (born April 9, 1971) is a Canadian automobile racing driver, and winner of Formula One (1997) and Champ Car championships and the Indianapolis 500, one of only three drivers to accomplish all three feats (the others being Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti). ...
Michael Schumacher (pronounced / /, (nicknamed Schumi / Schu in German) born January 3, 1969, in Hürth Hermülheim, near Cologne) is a German Formula One driver and seven-time Formula One world champion. ...
The Fédération Internationale de lAutomobile, commonly referred to as the FIA, is a non-profit association established in 1904 to represent the interest of motoring organisations and motor car users. ...
The race was won by Mika Hakkinen, his first Formula One race victory. His McLaren team-mate David Coulthard finished in second and Williams driver Jacques Villeneuve took third. This was enough to give Villeneuve the 1997 World Drivers Championship. Gerhard Berger, Eddie Irvine and Heinz-Harald Frentzen filled the remaining three points-paying positions.[1] Mika Häkkinen at the 2000 United States Grand Prix Mika Pauli Häkkinen (b. ...
McLaren, founded in 1963 by Bruce McLaren (1937â1970), is a racing team based in Woking, England, which is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed in the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, Canadian-American Challenge Cup, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. ...
David Marshall Coulthard (born March 27, 1971 in Twynholm, Dumfries and Galloway), is a Scottish Formula One racing driver for Red Bull Racing. ...
WilliamsF1, formerly Williams Grand Prix Engineering, is a Formula 1 (F1) motor racing team formed and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. ...
Gerhard Berger, born August 27, 1959 in Wörgl is a popular Austrian Grand Prix racing driver. ...
Eddie Irvine is a former Formula One racing driver. ...
Heinz-Harald Frentzen, born May 18, 1967, is a German racing driver most famous for his career in Formula One. ...
[edit] Pre-race situation
At the start of the weekend there were two drivers still in contention for the world drivers championship; Michael Schumacher led going into the race with 78 points and Jacques Villenueve was second with 77 points. Villeneuve had won three more races than Schumacher during the season meaning in the event of a tie, Villeneuve would be world champion. Villeneuve therefore had to finish 6th or higher and ahead of Schumacher to become champion. Schumacher had to finish ahead of Villeneuve or Villeneuve would have to finish in 7th or worse for Schumacher to claim his third world championship. [edit] Qualifying During the qualifying session, held on Saturday October 25 to determine the order of the cars on the grid, three cars set identical times. Jacques Villeneuve was first to set a time of 1:21.072 14 minutes into the one hour session. 14 minutes later, Michael Schumacher posted an identical time. As he was the second car to set the time, he was placed in second position. With nine minutes of the session remaining, Villeneuve's Williams team-mate crossed the line again with a time of 1:21.072. Being the third driver to do so he would start in 3rd position on the grid. Fourth place on the grid went to Damon Hill in his Arrows, with a time of 1:21.130, just 0.058 seconds behind the times of the leading three. Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE (born 17 September 1960 in London) is a retired British racing driver and the 1996 Formula One World Champion. ...
Team Orange Arrows Formula One car at the 2000 United States Grand Prix The Arrows Racing Team team was founded in 1977, by Italian financier Franco Ambrosio (A), Alan Rees (R), Jackie Oliver (O), Dave Wass (W) and Tony Southgate (S) when Rees, Oliver, Wass and Southgate left the Shadow...
Qualifying laps in 1997 were done on low fuel, using new tyres and with the ability to change engines without penalty. Therefore the laps could be seen as a true comparison between cars, and this indicated the performance of Villeneuve's Williams and Schumacher's Ferrari were identical. [edit] Race Villeneuve started on pole, with Schumacher in second. Schumacher's getaway at the start was better than Villeneuve's and he led by the time they reached the first corner. Frentzen also got a better start than Villeneuve and overtook him. Under team-orders on lap eight, Frentzen let Villeneuve pass him leaving Schumacher first, Villeneuve second and Frentzen in third position. Schumacher took his first pit-stop on lap 22 and Villeneuve his first stop the following lap. They retained position but during the first round of pitstops Frentzen dropped to fifth behind both McLarens and the McLarens swopped places with David Coulthard leading Mika Hakkinen. The order of the leaders after the second round of pitstops on lap 43 and lap 44 remained the same but with Villeneuve closer to Schumacher. On lap 48 Villeneuve attempted to overtake Schumacher at the Dry Sac corner. Villeneuve held the inside line, however Schumacher turned in on Villeneuve resulting in the two championship rivals colliding. The right-front wheel of Schumacher's Ferrari hit the left radiator pod of Villeneuve's Williams and caused Schumacher to retire. Villeneuve described the incident after the race "The car felt very strange. The hit was very hard. It was not a small thing.".[2] He continued but the damage meant he was slower than the cars behind him. At the time of the incident there were still 20 laps of the race remaining. His car didn't fail, but the slower pace meant that on the last lap, he had been caught by both McLarens, Hakkinen having regained second place from Coulthard under team orders. Villeneuve only needed to finish sixth to win the championship, therefore he let both McLarens past and dropped to third. After the race he stated " I did not fight then. It was better to let them through and win the World Championship. It is a good exchange."[3] Gerhard Berger in fourth place was also catching Villeneuve but they did not exchange positions before crossing the finish line. The final margin between Villeneuve and Berger was just 0.116 seconds. Third place meant Villeneuve finished ahead of Schumacher in the drivers championship by 4 points, and was World Champion. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro is the name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. ...
[edit] Post-Race Prior to the race at Jerez the president of the FIA, Max Mosley, had promised penalties to anyone who tried to influence the outcome of the championship.[4]. Despite this, race official issued a statement following the race stating that they had "unanimously concluded it was a racing accident and no further action is necessary."[5] However Schumacher was summoned to a disciplinary hearing by the FIA and on November 11 1997 it was announced that Schumacher would be disqualified from the 1997 World Championship. This meant he lost his second place in the overall standings to Heinz-Harald Frentzen but he would retain his race victories and other results and would not be fined or face any further punishment in the following season. Max Mosely stated that the panel "concluded that although the actions were deliberate they were not premeditated".[6] Ferrari also escaped unpunished despite Article 123 of the FIA International Sporting Code stateing: Max Mosley has been president of the influential FIA since 1991. ...
The entrant shall be responsible for all acts or omissions on the part of the driver. Under this rule, which has never been invoked for a driving incident, Ferrari could have been punished for failing to control its driver. When questioned on the subject Max Mosley said that the World Council had decided not to invoke Article 123. Another question which the World Council failed to address was whether or not there would be any public sanction against the stewards at Jerez, who had dismissed the Schumacher-Villeneuve incident, which, has been claimed, was a dereliction of their duty.[7] The German newspapers were amoung the many from across Europe that attacked Schumacher. "Schumacher was to blame for the crash," said the daily newspaper, Bild. "He played for high stakes and lost everything - the World Championship and his reputation for fair play. There is no doubt that he wanted to take out Villeneuve". The Frankfurter Allgemeine called him "a kamikaze without honor" and commented that the "monument is starting to crack because the foundations are faulty." A German TV station asked fans for their views and received the views of 63,081 votes. 28% said they could not support Schumacher any longer.[8] The Bild-Zeitung (lit. ...
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) is an influential high-quality national German newspaper, founded in 1949. ...
In Italy there was widespread condemnation of the move. The daily newspaper. Unita. called for him to be fired by Ferrari. "Schumacher ought to face charges in a Spanish court for the grave deed he committed," it reported. "The driver covered himself, Ferrari and Italian sport as a whole with shame. We are waiting for Ferrari to announce that it is throwing out Michael Schumacher and hiring a new driver who is more intelligent, has more wisdom and a real sense of morality."[8] A UNITA sticker The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, more commonly known as UNITA (acronymn for its Portuguese name União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola), is an Angolan political faction. ...
La Repubblica reported that "seeing a world title vanish after waiting 18 years is sad enough. But to see it go up in smoke with the move from Michael Schumacher is unfortunately much worse. It's shameful." Gazzetta dello Sport said that if Ferrari had won the title it would have been "a title to hide" and said that it preferred to go on waiting for the day when "our passion for Ferrari has a happy ending."[8] Even La Stampa, the newspaper owned by the Agnelli Family, which also controls Ferrari, roared against Schumacher. "His image as a champion was shattered, like a glass hit by a stone." La Repubblica (meaning: The Republic) is an Italian daily newspaper. ...
La Gazzetta dello Sport is an Italian newspaper dedicated to coverage of various sports. ...
La Stampa is one of the best-known and most widely sold Italian daily newspapers, published in Turin and distributed in Italy and in other nations in Europe. ...
In the British newspapers Schumacher's maneuver against Damon Hill in Adelaide in 1994 was mentioned in many of the reports. The Daily Mail reported that Schumacher had now "lost the last vestige of his reputation of being a sportsman" and The Times wrote that Schumacher had "sacrificed his reputation by an act of such cynicism that it lost him the right to any sympathy."[8] The Daily Mail is a British newspaper, currently a tabloid, first published in 1896. ...
The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1785, and under its current name since 1788. ...
Ferrari hosted a press conference on the Tuesday after Jerez during which Schumacher admitted that he had made a mistake but said it was a misjudgment rather than a deliberate attempt to take out Villeneuve. "I am human like everyone else and unfortunately I made a mistake," he said. "I don't make many but I did this time."[8] The track itself was banned from hosting FIA-sanctioned racing again after an incident where the mayor of the town disrupted the podium ceremonies. The people chosen to present the trophies were dependent on the race order, with Daimler-Benz chairman Jurgen Schrempp only willing to make a presentation to a McLaren-Mercedes driver. As the McLarens of Häkkinen and Coulthard passed Villeneuve's Williams on the last lap, this would have meant he could present either the trophy for first or second position or the winning constructor trophy. There was some confusion due to the late changes in position and whilst the Mayor and the president of the region presented trophies, Schrempp did nothing. FIA president Max Mosely later announced "The disruption caused embarrassment and inconvenience to those presenting the trophies and therefore, no further rounds of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship will be held at the Jerez circuit."[9] [edit] Collusion Allegations In 2006, Norberto Fontana claimed in an interview with the Argentinian Magazine Ol?[10] that a few hours before the Grand Prix, Jean Todt visited the Sauber motorhome and told the Swiss team, which used Ferrari engines at the time, that the Saubers must block Jacques Villeneuve if they were in a position to do so in order to help Michael Schumacher win the World Championship. Norberto Fontana was a Formula One driver from Argentina. ...
Jean Todt (b. ...
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve (born April 9, 1971) is a Canadian automobile racing driver, and winner of Formula One (1997) and Champ Car championships and the Indianapolis 500, one of only three drivers to accomplish all three feats (the others being Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti). ...
Michael Schumacher (pronounced / /, (nicknamed Schumi / Schu in German) born January 3, 1969, in Hürth Hermülheim, near Cologne) is a German Formula One driver and seven-time Formula One world champion. ...
The Sauber team owner and manager at the time, Peter Sauber has however denied these allegations and said "Ferrari never expressed the desire that we should obstruct an opponent of Schumacher on the track". [11] [edit] Classification [edit] Image File history File links Flag_of_Finland_(bordered). ...
Mika Pauli Häkkinen (Hakkinen in English) (born September 28, 1968 in Vantaa) is a Finnish racing driver and two-time Formula One drivers champion. ...
McLaren, founded in 1963 by Bruce McLaren (1937â1970), is a racing team based in Woking, England, which is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed in the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, Canadian-American Challenge Cup, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. ...
This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ...
David Marshall Coulthard (born March 27, 1971 in Twynholm, Dumfries and Galloway), is a Scottish Formula One racing driver for Red Bull Racing. ...
McLaren, founded in 1963 by Bruce McLaren (1937â1970), is a racing team based in Woking, England, which is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed in the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, Canadian-American Challenge Cup, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. ...
This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada. ...
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve (born April 9, 1971) is a Canadian automobile racing driver, and winner of Formula One (1997) and Champ Car championships and the Indianapolis 500, one of only three drivers to accomplish all three feats (the others being Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti). ...
WilliamsF1, formerly Williams Grand Prix Engineering, is a Formula 1 (F1) motor racing team formed and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. ...
Renault F1 is a Formula One racing team that has competed both as an engine supplier and as a constructor from the late 1970s to the present day, with several breaks. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Austria. ...
Gerhard Berger, born August 27, 1959 in Wörgl is a popular Austrian Grand Prix racing driver. ...
Johnny Herbert driving for Benetton in 1995 Benetton Formula Ltd. ...
Renault F1 is a Formula One racing team that has competed both as an engine supplier and as a constructor from the late 1970s to the present day, with several breaks. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ...
Eddie Irvine is a former Formula One racing driver. ...
Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro is the name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ...
Heinz-Harald Frentzen, born May 18, 1967, is a German racing driver most famous for his career in Formula One. ...
WilliamsF1, formerly Williams Grand Prix Engineering, is a Formula 1 (F1) motor racing team formed and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. ...
Renault F1 is a Formula One racing team that has competed both as an engine supplier and as a constructor from the late 1970s to the present day, with several breaks. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ...
Olivier Panis, born in Oullins, Lyon, September 2, 1966, is a retired French Formula One racing driver. ...
Olivier Panis driving for the Prost Grand Prix team in Montreal in 1998 Prost Grand Prix was a Formula 1 racing team managed by former world champion Alain Prost. ...
Mugen Motorsports (M-Tec Co. ...
For other uses, see Honda (disambiguation). ...
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Johnny Herbert driving for Benetton in 1995 John Paul Herbert (born June 25, 1964, Romford, England) is a British ex-Formula One motor racing driver, who enjoyed much success in lower-level motor racing but never managed to achieve the same level of performance at the top level of motorsport. ...
Sauber was a swiss constructor of racing cars. ...
PETRONAS, short for Petroliam Nasional Berhad, is Malaysias owned oil and gas company that was founded on August 17, 1974. ...
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Jan Magnussen is a race car driver from Denmark. ...
Rubens Barrichello driving for the Stewart Grand Prix team in Montreal in 1997. ...
now. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan_(bordered). ...
Shinji Nakano was a Formula One driver from Japan. ...
Olivier Panis driving for the Prost Grand Prix team in Montreal in 1998 Prost Grand Prix was a Formula 1 racing team managed by former world champion Alain Prost. ...
Mugen Motorsports (M-Tec Co. ...
For other uses, see Honda (disambiguation). ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ...
Giancarlo Fisichella (born January 14, 1973 in Rome), also known as Fisico or Fisi, is an Italian Formula One racing driver. ...
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Finland_(bordered). ...
Mika Juhani Salo is a Finnish former Formula One driver. ...
Tyrrell was an auto racing team and Formula One constructor founded by Ken Tyrrell. ...
now. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_France. ...
Jean Alesi, (born Giovanni Alesi June 11, 1964) is a French racing driver of both French and Sicilian origins. ...
Johnny Herbert driving for Benetton in 1995 Benetton Formula Ltd. ...
Renault F1 is a Formula One racing team that has competed both as an engine supplier and as a constructor from the late 1970s to the present day, with several breaks. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Argentina. ...
Norberto Fontana was a Formula One driver from Argentina. ...
Sauber was a swiss constructor of racing cars. ...
PETRONAS, short for Petroliam Nasional Berhad, is Malaysias owned oil and gas company that was founded on August 17, 1974. ...
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Tarso Marques was a Formula One driver from Brazil. ...
Minardi was an automobile racing team founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. ...
Hart was a Formula One engine manufacturer that participated in 157 Grands Prix, entering a total of 368 cars. ...
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Jos Verstappen (born 4 March 1972) is a former Dutch Formula 1 driver. ...
Tyrrell was an auto racing team and Formula One constructor founded by Ken Tyrrell. ...
now. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan_(bordered). ...
Ukyo Katayama (çå±± å³äº¬ Katayama UkyÅ, born May 29, 1963) is one of several Japanese drivers to try their hand at F1 without making a major impact. ...
Minardi was an automobile racing team founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. ...
Hart was a Formula One engine manufacturer that participated in 157 Grands Prix, entering a total of 368 cars. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ...
Michael Schumacher (pronounced / /, (nicknamed Schumi / Schu in German) born January 3, 1969, in Hürth Hermülheim, near Cologne) is a German Formula One driver and seven-time Formula One world champion. ...
Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro is the name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ...
Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE (born 17 September 1960 in London) is a retired British racing driver and the 1996 Formula One World Champion. ...
Team Orange Arrows Formula One car at the 2000 United States Grand Prix The Arrows Racing Team team was founded in 1977, by Italian financier Franco Ambrosio (A), Alan Rees (R), Jackie Oliver (O), Dave Wass (W) and Tony Southgate (S) when Rees, Oliver, Wass and Southgate left the Shadow...
Yamaha Motor Corporation (ã¤ããçºåæ©æ ªå¼ä¼ç¤¾) is a motorized vehicle-producing company, initially part of the Yamaha Corporation. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ...
Ralf Schumacher (born June 30, 1975 in Hürth-Hermülheim near Cologne) is a German Formula One racing driver for the Toyota team. ...
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën. ...
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Barrichello in his Ferrari in 2003 Rubens Gonçalves Barrichello (born May 23, 1972) is a Brazilian Formula One race driver who currently drives for Honda Racing. ...
Rubens Barrichello driving for the Stewart Grand Prix team in Montreal in 1997. ...
now. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ...
Pedro Diniz (born in São Paulo, May 22, 1970) was a Formula One driver from Brazil. ...
Team Orange Arrows Formula One car at the 2000 United States Grand Prix The Arrows Racing Team team was founded in 1977, by Italian financier Franco Ambrosio (A), Alan Rees (R), Jackie Oliver (O), Dave Wass (W) and Tony Southgate (S) when Rees, Oliver, Wass and Southgate left the Shadow...
Yamaha Motor Corporation (ã¤ããçºåæ©æ ªå¼ä¼ç¤¾) is a motorized vehicle-producing company, initially part of the Yamaha Corporation. ...
Notes - Fastest Lap: Heinz-Harald Frentzen 1m 23.135s
- First Win: Mika Hakkinen
[edit] References |