- 1997 Japanese Grand Prix
Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Japan
Grand Prix = Japanese
Official name = XXIIIFuji Television Japanese Grand Prix
Date = October 12
Year = 1997
Race_No = 16
Season_No = 17
Location =Suzuka Circuit , Suzuka, Mie, Japan
Course = Permanent racing facility
Course_mi = 3.641
Course_km = 5.860
Distance_laps = 53
Distance_mi = 192.995
Distance_km = 310.596cite book|last=Domenjoz|first=Luc|title=Formula 1 Yearbook - 1997-98|origyear=1997|edition=8th edition|publisher=Parragon |isbn=0-75252-386-4|pages=pp. 209]
Weather = Sunny
Pole_Driver =Jacques Villeneuve
Pole_Team = Williams-Renault
Pole_Time = 1:36.071cite book|last=Domenjoz|first=Luc|title=Formula 1 Yearbook - 1997-98|origyear=1997|edition=8th edition|publisher=Parragon |isbn=0-75252-386-4|pages=pp. 204]
Pole_Country = Canada
Fast_Driver =Heinz-Harald Frentzen
Fast_Team = Williams-Renault
Fast_Time = 1:38.9042
Fast_Lcite book|last=Domenjoz|first=Luc|title=Formula 1 Yearbook - 1997-98|origyear=1997|edition=8th edition|publisher=
Parragon |isbn=0-75252-386-4|pages=pp. 205]
Fast_Country = Germany
First_Driver =Michael Schumacher
First_Team = Ferrari
First_Country = Germany
Second_Driver =Heinz-Harald Frentzen
Second_Team = Williams-Renault
Second_Country = Germany
Third_Driver =Eddie Irvine
Third_Team = Ferrari
Third_Country = United KingdomThe 1997 Japanese Grand Prix (officially known as the XXIII Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix) was aFormula One motor race held on October 12, 1997 at theSuzuka Circuit , Suzuka. It was the 16th and penultimate race of the1997 Formula One season . The race, contested over 53 laps, was won byMichael Schumacher for the Ferrari team after starting from second position.Heinz-Harald Frentzen finished second in a Williams, andEddie Irvine third in the other Ferrari.cite web|url=http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1997/162/|publisher=The Official Formula 1 Website|title=1997 Japanese Grand Prix|accessdate=2008-05-09] . Irvine led much of the race before moving over to assist Schumacher's championship battle by blocking Drivers' Championship leaderJacques Villenueve .Villeneuve started on
pole position in a Williams car. Before the race, it emerged that Villenueve had been put to the back of the grid, having for ignored waved yellow flags on two consecutive laps during a practice session for the race. Williams appealed and Villenueve started from the pole. He drove a conservative race to finish 5th, gaining two points. After the race, Villeneuve was disqualified, meaning he lost the two points he originally earned.cite web|url=http://grandprix.com/ns/ns01297.html|title=Villeneuve in trouble|publisher=GrandPrix.com|date=1997-10-13|accessdate=2008-05-09] cite web|url=http://grandprix.com/ns/ns01310.html|title=Williams drops its appeal|publisher=GrandPrix.com|date=1997-10-20|accessdate=2008-05-09] Schumacher's win put him in front of Villeneuve in the championship on 78 points, with Villeneuve on 77 points. However, as a result of Frentzen finishing third, Williams clinched the Constructors' Championship as Ferrari could not pass their points total with only one race remaining.cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr613.html|publisher=GrandPrix.com|title=Grand Prix Results: Japanese GP, 1997|accessdate=2008-05-09]Report
Background
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.cite book|last=Domenjoz|first=Luc|title=Formula 1 Yearbook - 1997-98|origyear=1997|edition=8th edition|publisher=Parragon |isbn=0-75252-386-4|pages=pp. 220|quote=
119. Free practice will take place:
a) two days (Monaco : three days) before the race from 11.00 to 12.00 and from 13.00 to 14.00.
b) the day before the race from 09.00 to 09.45 and from 10.15 to 11.00]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. Thetrack marshal s as a result waved yellow flags meaning that drivers should slow down at that part of the track. Despite the yellow flags, nine drivers, includingMichael Schumacher andJacques Villeneuve , never slowed down. Villeneuve in the process, set his fastest time of the session on that lap.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 half a second behind Villeneuve.McLaren driverMika Häkkinen rounded out the top four, only three thousands of a second behind Irvine. The Benetton drivers were fifth and seventh;Gerhard Berger ahead ofJean Alesi .Heinz-Harald Frentzen in a Williams split the two in sixth, six tenths behind Villeneuve.Classification
Race
References
F1 race report
Name_of_race =Japanese Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 1997
Previous_race_in_season =1997 Luxembourg Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season =1997 European Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race =1996 Japanese Grand Prix
Next_year's_race =1998 Japanese Grand Prix
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