1997 Monaco Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Monaco
Grand Prix = Monaco
Official name = LV Grand Prix de Monaco
Date = May 11
Year = 1997


Race_No = 5
Season_No = 17
Location = Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco
Course = Temporary street circuit
Course_mi = 2.08
Course_km = 3.36
Distance_laps = 62
Distance_mi = 128.96
Distance_km = 207.08
Scheduled_laps= 78
Scheduled_mi = 162.24
Scheduled_km = 260.52
Weather = Overcast, cold and rain
Pole_Driver = Heinz-Harald Frentzen
Pole_Team = Williams-Renault
Pole_Time = 1:18.216
Pole_Country = Germany
Fast_Driver = Michael Schumacher
Fast_Team = Ferrari
Fast_Time = 1:53.315
Fast_L

Fast_Country = Germany
First_Driver = Michael Schumacher
First_Team = Ferrari
First_Country = Germany
Second_Driver = Rubens Barrichello
Second_Team = Stewart-Ford
Second_Country = Brazil
Third_Driver = Eddie Irvine
Third_Team = Ferrari
Third_Country = United Kingdom

The 1997 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 11, 1997 at the Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Summary

The 1997 Monaco Grand Prix saw a great drive in the rain by Michael Schumacher: thanks to his skills and to the rivals' errors, he won a race he led from the beginning with a huge gap.

Qualifying saw Heinz-Harald Frentzen in his Williams-Renault in front of Michael Schumacher in the Ferrari; third was Jacques Villeneuve in the other Williams. Fourth was Giancarlo Fisichella in the Jordan-Peugeot, while the fifth place was taken by David Coulthard in the McLaren-Mercedes and the sixth by Ralf Schumacher in the second Jordan, showing the good setup the team had found on the circuit.

The warmup session was dry, with Williams taking first and second places. But about 30 minutes to go before the start the first raindrops began to fall; Williams decided to run both cars with dry tyres and setup, thinking the weather would return dry, while Michael Schumacher set the car for intermediate weather conditions. During the warm up lap, the weather worsened, so the German's gamble paid off: at the start, Schumacher was quickest and took first place, starting to build a huge lead: he was ahead the rest of the group by 22 seconds on lap 5. Behind him the Jordans, which both had the car set for rain, took second and third spots, until they were both passed by Rubens Barrichello in the Stewart, who benefited from the Bridgestone wet tyres, which were better than Goodyear's under those conditions. Third place was taken by Schumacher's teammate, Eddie Irvine, who overcame the 1996 winner Olivier Panis' Ligier, thereby exacting some revenge for Panis questionable manoeuvre that had seen Panis get past Irvine a year earlier.

The start of the race was catastrophic for the Arrows team, as Pedro Diniz slid stright into the wall on the opening lap, while Diniz' team-mate Damon Hill was involved in a collision with Mika Häkkinen's McLaren on the second lap, eliminating both cars on the spot.

Both Willams drivers went out of the race after they had to pit to change their tyres: Frentzen hit a barrier at the chicane on lap 39, Villeneuve hit a wall and had to retire on lap 17. Schumacher continued to build his lead until he had about 30 seconds advantage over Barrichello; then he backed off and began to maintain the gap. By the mid-race he was able to pit without losing the lead; his only glitch in the race was an error on lap 53 at the Ste. Devote corner, in which he went down the escape road and lost 10 seconds. The race was stopped on lap 62 instead of the 78 scheduled because of the time limit of 2 hours. Michael Schumacher won with a 53 second margin over Barrichello, and third on the podium was Eddie Irvine.

Classification

Qualifying

Race

Notes

*Scheduled for 78 laps but stopped after two-hour mark.
*Mika Salo did not make a single pit-stop. He ran all 61 laps without stopping.
*First point finish and first podium for Stewart.

F1 race report
Name_of_race = Monaco Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 1997
Previous_race_in_season = 1997 San Marino Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 1997 Spanish Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 1996 Monaco Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 1998 Monaco Grand Prix