The 1997 European Grand Prix was Round 17 of the 1997 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The event was held in Jerez, Spain on Sunday, 26 October 1997. Jacques Villeneuve started on pole position in the Williams Renault and Mika Häkkinen was the race winner in the McLaren Mercedes. Häkkinen’s maiden win was the first F1 victory achieved by a Finnish driver since Keke Rosberg won the 1985 Australian Grand Prix. The result of this Grand Prix sealed the outcome of the 1997 FIA Drivers’ Championship and Villeneuve won the world title.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Nationality | Team | Chassis | Tyre | Laps | Race Time | Gap | Interval | Best Lap | Lap | Speed | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Mika Häkkinen | Finland | McLaren Mercedes | MP4-12 | Goodyear | 69 | 1:38:57.771 | – | – | 1:24.072 | 28 | 185.240 | 10 |
| 2 | 10 | David Coulthard | Great Britain | McLaren Mercedes | MP4-12 | Goodyear | 69 | 1:38:59.425 | +1.654 | +1.654 | 1:24.006 | 27 | 185.188 | 6 |
| 3 | 3 | Jacques Villeneuve | Canada | Williams Renault | FW19 | Goodyear | 69 | 1:38:59.574 | +1.803 | +0.149 | 1:23.906 | 42 | 185.184 | 4 |
| 4 | 8 | Gerhard Berger | Austria | Benetton Renault | B197 | Goodyear | 69 | 1:38:59.690 | +1.919 | +0.116 | 1:23.361 | 31 | 185.180 | 3 |
| 5 | 6 | Eddie Irvine | Great Britain | Ferrari | F310B | Goodyear | 69 | 1:39:01.560 | +3.789 | +1.870 | 1:24.266 | 37 | 185.122 | 2 |
| 6 | 4 | Heinz-Harald Frentzen | Germany | Williams Renault | FW19 | Goodyear | 69 | 1:39:02.308 | +4.537 | +0.748 | 1:23.135 | 30 | 185.098 | 1 |
| 7 | 14 | Olivier Panis | France | Prost Mugen Honda | JS45 | Bridgestone | 69 | 1:40:04.916 | +1:07.145 | +1:02.608 | 1:23.941 | 45 | 183.169 | |
| 8 | 16 | Johnny Herbert | Great Britain | Sauber Petronas | C16 | Goodyear | 69 | 1:40:10.732 | +1:12.961 | +5.816 | 1:25.159 | 30 | 182.991 | |
| 9 | 23 | Jan Magnussen | Denmark | Stewart Ford | SF1 | Bridgestone | 69 | 1:40:15.258 | +1:17.487 | +4.526 | 1:25.370 | 31 | 182.854 | |
| 10 | 15 | Shinji Nakano | Japan | Prost Mugen Honda | JS45 | Bridgestone | 69 | 1:40:15.986 | +1:18.215 | +0.728 | 1:24.679 | 45 | 182.832 | |
| 11 | 12 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Italy | Jordan Peugeot | 197 | Goodyear | 68 | 1:39:05.717 | 1 lap | 1 lap | 1:25.434 | 45 | 182.311 | |
| 12 | 19 | Mika Salo | Finland | Tyrrell Ford | 025 | Goodyear | 68 | 1:39:15.015 | 1 lap | +9.298 | 1:25.237 | 37 | 182.027 | |
| 13 | 7 | Jean Alesi | France | Benetton Renault | B197 | Goodyear | 68 | 1:39:15.717 | 1 lap | +0.702 | 1:23.975 | 27 | 182.005 | |
| 14 | 17 | Norberto Fontana | Argentina | Sauber Petronas | C16 | Goodyear | 68 | 1:39:45.614 | 1 lap | +29.897 | 1:25.154 | 32 | 181.096 | |
| 15 | 21 | Tarso Marques | Brazil | Minardi Hart | M197 | Bridgestone | 68 | 1:39:56.704 | 1 lap | +11.090 | 1:25.947 | 55 | 180.761 | |
| 16 | 18 | Jos Verstappen | Netherlands | Tyrrell Ford | 025 | Goodyear | 68 | 1:40:06.201 | 1 lap | +9.497 | 1:26.369 | 40 | 180.475 | |
| 17 | 20 | Ukyo Katayama | Japan | Minardi Hart | M197 | Bridgestone | 68 | 1:40:06.893 | 1 lap | +0.692 | 1:26.215 | 27 | 180.455 | |
| DNF | 5 | Michael Schumacher | Germany | Ferrari | F310B | Goodyear | 47 | 1:07:10.086 | 1:23.692 | 42 | 185.906 | |||
| DNF | 1 | Damon Hill | Great Britain | Arrows Yamaha | A18 | Bridgestone | 47 | 1:07:51.108 | 1:24.274 | 40 | 184.032 | |||
| DNF | 11 | Ralf Schumacher | Germany | Jordan Peugeot | 197 | Goodyear | 44 | 1:04:37.169 | 1:25.895 | 34 | 180.903 | |||
| DNF | 22 | Rubens Barrichello | Brazil | Stewart Ford | SF1 | Bridgestone | 30 | 43:46.506 | 1:26.169 | 13 | 182.076 | |||
| DNF | 2 | Pedro Diniz | Brazil | Arrows Yamaha | A18 | Bridgestone | 11 | 16:08.083 | 1:26.434 | 3 | 181.129 |
Memorable Race Moments
Race Start
Murray Walker: “And it’s go! go! go! go! Villeneuve gets away and Schumacher gets away better! better! better!”
At the start of this nail biting championship finale, pole sitter Jacques Villeneuve is beaten to the first corner by Michael Schumacher and then also overtaken by Williams team-mate Heinz-Harald Frentzen.
Lap 7
Dutifully playing the team game, Heinz-Harald Frentzen slows to allow his Williams team-mate Jacques Villeneuve to pass and take over 2nd place.
Lap 22
Race leader Michael Schumacher makes a pit stop which lasts for 7.6 seconds.
Lap 23
New race leader Jacques Villeneuve then makes a pit stop and rejoins in 5th, behind new race leader Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Mika Häkkinen’s McLaren, Michael Schumacher in the Ferrari and David Coulthard's McLaren.
Lap 24
Continuing to support his team-mate’s bid for the championship, Heinz-Harald Frentzen backs Mika Häkkinen and Michael Schumacher into Jacques Villeneuve, who sets a new fastest lap on Lap 25. David Coulthard pits.
Lap 26
Jacques Villeneuve unsuccessfully tries to overtake Michael Schumacher at Curva Dry Sac.
Lap 28
When Heinz-Harald Frentzen makes a pit stop lasting 7.2 seconds, Michael Schumacher regains the lead of the race, just ahead of title rival Jacques Villeneuve.
Lap 47
Martin Brundle: “Villeneuve is all over him, look! He’s going through! Oh yes... That didn’t work Michael, you hit the wrong part of him my friend.”
Jacques Villeneuve boldly tries to overtake Michael Schumacher for the lead at Curva Dry Sac but the German turns in on the Canadian, striking the Williams with his Ferrari and bouncing off into the gravel trap.
Lap 69
Murray Walker: “He’s coming up to the last corner. Häkkinen is going to win the European Grand Prix, David Coulthard goes 2nd and Jacques Villeneuve settles for 3rd place and the World Championship of 1997. WOW!”
On the last lap Mika Häkkinen dives past Jacques Villeneuve’s ailing Williams at the chicane to seize the lead and crosses the line to seal his first Grand Prix victory, just ahead of team-mate David Coulthard, who also overtook Villeneuve into the final corner. Driving in his final F1 race, Gerhard Berger finishes 4th, just 0.116 seconds behind Villeneuve.
Podium
On the podium, Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard hoist newly crowned world champion Jacques Villeneuve up onto their shoulders in front of the cheering crowd at Jerez.