1997 Belgian Grand Prix | |||||
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Race 12 of 17 in the 1997 Formula One World Championship
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Race details | |||||
Date | 24 August 1997 | ||||
Official name | LV Belgian Grand Prix | ||||
Location |
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps Francorchamps, Wallonia, Belgium[1] | ||||
Course | Permanent racing facility | ||||
Course length | 6.968 km (4.330 miles) | ||||
Distance | 44 laps, 306.592 km (190.507 miles) | ||||
Weather | Wet, then drying out with temperatures reaching up to 28 °C (82 °F)[2] | ||||
Pole position | |||||
Driver | Williams-Renault | ||||
Time | 1:49.450 | ||||
Fastest lap | |||||
Driver | Jacques Villeneuve | Williams-Renault | |||
Time | 1:52.692 on lap 43 | ||||
Podium | |||||
First | Ferrari | ||||
Second | Jordan-Peugeot | ||||
Third | Williams-Renault | ||||
Lap leaders |
The 1997 Belgian Grand Prix (formally the LV Belgian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on 24 August 1997. It was the twelfth race of the 1997 Formula One World Championship.
The 44-lap race was won by Michael Schumacher, driving a Ferrari. Giancarlo Fisichella finished second in a Jordan-Peugeot, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen third in a Williams-Renault after Mika Häkkinen's McLaren-Mercedes was disqualified due to a fuel irregularity. Schumacher's Drivers' Championship rival, Jacques Villeneuve, finished fifth in the other Williams-Renault, having started from pole position.
With the win, Schumacher extended his lead over Villeneuve in the Drivers' Championship to 11 points with five races remaining.