1997 Japanese Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Japan
Grand Prix = Japanese
Official name = XXIII Fuji 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_L
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. 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 a Formula One motor race held on October 12, 1997 at the Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka. It was the 16th and penultimate race of the 1997 Formula One season. The race, contested over 53 laps, 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.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 leader Jacques 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. 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.

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 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.

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