1997 Italian Grand Prix

The 1997 Italian Grand Prix, otherwise known as the LXVIII Gran Premio Campari d'Italia, was the thirteenth round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Monza, Italy, on the 7 September 1997.'Italian GP, 1997', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2014), https://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr610.html, (Accessed 23/08/2019) The race would see David Coulthard sweep to victory for , as title pretenders Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve struggled throughout the weekend.
Qualifying had seen the usual order of things completely dismantled, with Giancarlo Fisichella leading the way for most of the session for . He would, however, be beaten to pole position by the ever popular Jean Alesi of , with Heinz-Harald Frentzen sneaked into second ahead of the Italian. Behind, Villeneuve would claim fourth, while Schumacher found himself down in a lowly ninth for .
The warm-up passed without issue, with conditions remaining dry and warm, and with Ferrari off the overall pace. There were, however, to be discussions over the race start, with several drivers asking whether it was okay to go over the white lines on the start/finish straight, which outline the side of the circuit.
The officials opted to allow the use of the extra tarmac, a decision which proved crucial to the fates of Coulthard and Irvine. Indeed, both blitzed their starts to leap up the order, with Coulthard settling into third behind Alesi and Frentzen, while Irvine claimed eighth behind Schumacher having been baulked by the Scot.
Miraculously the field made it through the Rettifilo without issue, and would power through the rest of the opening lap without issue. Out front, meanwhile, Alesi, Frentzen and Coulthard would break away from the rest, with Fisichella in fourth unable to match their pace.
Yet, it quickly became clear that the race would not be a classic, quickly turning to a procession as the top three broke away. Indeed, the only changes to the order came during the stops, with Villeneuve and Frentzen the first callers, a decision which ultimately ruled Frentzen out of the reckoning.
Frentzen's early stop opened the door for Coulthard, who duly latched onto the back of Alesi before sweeping into the pits behind the Sicilian born Frenchman. McLaren duly got the Scot back out on fresh tyres and fuel quicker than Benetton could service Alesi, allowing Coulthard to shoot away in the lead.,ref name=GP></ref>
With that the race was effectively over, for Coulthard had enough pace to keep Alesi at arm's length without straining his car. Alesi hence had to look behind to keep an eye on Frentzen, although the German racer was providing no threat to the Benetton.
Elsewhere, Mika Häkkinen and Schumacher would have brief stints in the lead, opting for longer first stints, which would carry the Finn into fourth and Schumacher to seventh. Unfortunately for Häkkinen his race would be ruined by a delaminated tyre, promoting Schumacher into the points.
That really was the last drama of the race, with Coulthard cruising home to claim victory, which he dedicated to Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales, whom had been killed in an accident on 31 August prior to the race. Alesi and Frentzen completed the podium, with Fisichella, Villeneuve and Schumacher claiming the remaining points.
==Background==
Michael Schumacher moved eleven points clear atop the Championship after his fourth win of the campaign, leaving Belgium with 66 points. Jacques Villeneuve had therefore lost ground, and was now more than a win behind, with the Canadian ace remaining the only major pretender to Schumacher with five rounds to go. Heinz-Harald Frentzen, meanwhile, had moved into third, with just two points covering the German, Jean Alesi and fifth placed Gerhard Berger.
In the Constructors Championship it was who had won the day, eking out their lead to six points at the head of the hunt. had, however, effectively kept pace wit their Italian rivals, with having lost ground to both in third. They were, however, in a now secure third place, nineteen ahead of in fourth.
===Entry list===
The full entry list for the is outlined below:
No. 	Driver 	Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Model 	Tyre
1 	Damon Hill 	Danka Arrows Yamaha 	 	A18 	 	OX11A 3.0 V10 	
2 	Pedro Diniz 	Danka Arrows Yamaha 	 	A18 	 	OX11A 3.0 V10 	
3 	Jacques Villeneuve 	Rothmans Williams Renault 	 	FW19 	 	RS9 3.0 V10 	
4 	Heinz-Harald Frentzen 	Rothmans Williams Renault 	 	FW19 	 	RS9 3.0 V10 	
5 	Michael Schumacher 	Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 	 	F310B 	 	046/2 3.0 V10 	
6 	Eddie Irvine 	Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 	 	F310B 	 	046/2 3.0 V10 	
7 	Jean Alesi 	Mild Seven Benetton Renault 	 	B197 	 	RS9 3.0 V10 	
8 	Gerhard Berger 	Mild Seven Benetton Renault 	 	B197 	 	RS9 3.0 V10 	
9 	Mika Häkkinen 	West McLaren Mercedes 	 	MP4/12 	 	FO 110E 3.0 V10 	
10 	David Coulthard 	West McLaren Mercedes 	 	MP4/12 	 	FO 110E 3.0 V10 	
11 	Ralf Schumacher 	B&H Total Jordan Peugeot 	 	197 	 	A14 3.0 V10 	
12 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	B&H Total Jordan Peugeot 	 	197 	 	A14 3.0 V10 	
14 	Jarno Trulli 	Prost Gauloises Blondes 	 	JS45 	 	MF-301HB 3.0 V10 	
15 	Shinji Nakano 	Prost Gauloises Blondes 	 	JS45 	 	MF-301HB 3.0 V10 	
16 	Johnny Herbert 	Red Bull Sauber Petronas 	 	C16 	 	SPE-01 3.0 V10 	
17 	Gianni Morbidelli 	Red Bull Sauber Petronas 	 	C16 	 	SPE-01 3.0 V10 	
18 	Jos Verstappen 	PIAA Tyrrell 	 	025 	 	ED4 3.0 V10 	
19 	Mika Salo 	PIAA Tyrrell 	 	025 	 	ED4 3.0 V10 	
20 	Ukyo Katayama 	Minardi Team 	 	M197 	 	830 AV7 3.0 V10 	
21 	Tarso Marques 	Minardi Team 	 	M197 	 	830 AV7 3.0 V10 	
22 	Rubens Barrichello 	HSBC Malaysia Stewart Ford 	 	SF01 	 	VJ Zetec-R 3.0 V10 	
23 	Jan Magnussen 	HSBC Malaysia Stewart Ford 	 	SF01 	 	VJ Zetec-R 3.0 V10 	
Source:'Italy 1997: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'Italy 1997: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'Italy 1997: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'Italy 1997: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'Italy 1997: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'Italy 1997: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'Italy 1997: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'Italy 1997: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)
==Practice Overview==
==Qualifying==
===Qualifying Report===
===Qualifying Results===
The full qualifying results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Time 	Gap 	Ave. Speed
1 	7 	Jean Alesi 	 	1:22.990 	— 	250.295 km/h
2 	4 	Heinz-Harald Frentzen 	 	1:23.042 	+0.052s 	250.138 km/h
3 	12 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	 	1:23.066 	+0.076s 	250.066 km/h
4 	3 	Jacques Villeneuve 	 	1:23.231 	+0.241s 	249.570 km/h
5 	9 	Mika Häkkinen 	 	1:23.340 	+0.350s 	249.244 km/h
6 	10 	David Coulthard 	 	1:23.347 	+0.357s 	249.223 km/h
7 	8 	Gerhard Berger 	 	1:23.443 	+0.453s 	248.936 km/h
8 	11 	Ralf Schumacher 	 	1:23.603 	+0.613s 	248.460 km/h
9 	5 	Michael Schumacher 	 	1:23.624 	+0.634s 	248.398 km/h
10 	6 	Eddie Irvine 	 	1:23.891 	+0.901s 	247.607 km/h
11 	22 	Rubens Barrichello 	 	1:24.177 	+1.187s 	246.766 km/h
12 	16 	Johnny Herbert 	 	1:24.242 	+1.252s 	246.575 km/h
13 	23 	Jan Magnussen 	 	1:24.394 	+1.404s 	246.131 km/h
14 	1 	Damon Hill 	 	1:24.482 	+1.492s 	245.875 km/h
15 	15 	Shinji Nakano 	 	1:24.553 	+1.563s 	245.668 km/h
16 	14 	Jarno Trulli 	 	1:24.567 	+1.577s 	245.628 km/h
17 	2 	Pedro Diniz 	 	1:24.639 	+1.649s 	245.419 km/h
18 	17 	Gianni Morbidelli 	 	1:24.735 	+1.745s 	245.141 km/h
19 	19 	Mika Salo 	 	1:25.693 	+2.703s 	242.400 km/h
20 	18 	Jos Verstappen 	 	1:25.845 	+2.855s 	241.971 km/h
21 	20 	Ukyo Katayama 	 	1:26.655 	+3.665s 	239.709 km/h
22 	21 	Tarso Marques 	 	1:27.677 	+4.687s 	236.915 km/h
107% Time: 1:28.799 	107% Time: 1:28.799 	107% Time: 1:28.799 	107% Time: 1:28.799 	107% Time: 1:28.799 	107% Time: 1:28.799 	107% Time: 1:28.799
Source:'68° Gran Premio Campari d'ltalia 1997 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1997/races/666/italy/qualifying-0.html, (Accessed 23/08/2019)'Italy 1997: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'68° Gran Premio Campari d'ltalia 1997 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1997/races/666/italy/qualifying-0.html, (Accessed 23/08/2019)'Italy 1997: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'68° Gran Premio Campari d'ltalia 1997 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1997/races/666/italy/qualifying-0.html, (Accessed 23/08/2019)'Italy 1997: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'68° Gran Premio Campari d'ltalia 1997 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1997/races/666/italy/qualifying-0.html, (Accessed 23/08/2019)'Italy 1997: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'68° Gran Premio Campari d'ltalia 1997 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1997/races/666/italy/qualifying-0.html, (Accessed 23/08/2019)'Italy 1997: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'68° Gran Premio Campari d'ltalia 1997 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1997/races/666/italy/qualifying-0.html, (Accessed 23/08/2019)'Italy 1997: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'68° Gran Premio Campari d'ltalia 1997 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1997/races/666/italy/qualifying-0.html, (Accessed 23/08/2019)'Italy 1997: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session.
*Bold indicates a driver's best/qualifying time.
===Grid===
==Race==
===Report===
===Results===
The full results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Laps 	Time/Retired 	Grid 	Points
1 	10 	David Coulthard 	 	53 	1:17:04.609 	6 	10
2 	7 	Jean Alesi 	 	53 	+1.937s 	1 	6
3 	4 	Heinz-Harald Frentzen 	 	53 	+4.343s 	2 	4
4 	12 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	 	53 	+5.871s 	3 	3
5 	3 	Jacques Villeneuve 	 	53 	+6.416s 	4 	2
6 	5 	Michael Schumacher 	 	53 	+11.481s 	9 	1
7 	8 	Gerhard Berger 	 	53 	+12.471s 	7 	
8 	6 	Eddie Irvine 	 	53 	+17.639s 	10 	
9 	9 	Mika Häkkinen 	 	53 	+49.373s 	5 	
10 	14 	Jarno Trulli 	 	53 	+1:02.706 	16 	
11 	15 	Shinji Nakano 	 	53 	+1:03.327 	15 	
12 	17 	Gianni Morbidelli 	 	52 	+1 Lap 	18 	
13 	22 	Rubens Barrichello 	 	52 	+1 Lap 	11 	
14 	21 	Tarso Marques 	 	50 	+3 Laps 	22 	
Ret 	1 	Damon Hill 	 	46 	Engine 	14 	
Ret 	11 	Ralf Schumacher 	 	39 	Collision 	8 	
Ret 	16 	Johnny Herbert 	 	38 	Collision 	12 	
Ret 	19 	Mika Salo 	 	33 	Engine 	19 	
Ret 	23 	Jan Magnussen 	 	31 	Transmission 	13 	
Ret 	18 	Jos Verstappen 	 	12 	Gearbox 	20 	
Ret 	20 	Ukyo Katayama 	 	8 	Wheel 	21 	
Ret 	2 	Pedro Diniz 	 	4 	Suspension 	17 	
Source:'Italy 1997: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'Italy 1997: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'Italy 1997: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'Italy 1997: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'Italy 1997: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'Italy 1997: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'Italy 1997: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)	Source:'Italy 1997: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car.
==Milestones==
* Second and final pole position for Jean Alesi.'13. Italy 1997', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1997/italie.aspx, (Accessed 23/08/2019)
** This was also the twentieth pole for a car using #7 as its race number.'1997 Italian GP', chicanef1.com, (Chicane F1, 2014), http://www.chicanef1.com/racetit.pl?year=1997&gp=Italian%20GP&r=1, (Accessed 23/08/2019)
* Third career victory for David Coulthard.
* scored their 106th win as a constructor.
** secured their eleventh victory as an engine supplier.
* Thirtieth podium for Alesi.
* Mika Häkkinen recorded his first fastest lap.
==Standings==
With neither of the title protagonists scoring major points there had been little change atop the Championship standings, with Michael Schumacher remaining at the head of the hunt. Jacques Villeneuve had managed to reduce the German's advantage, leaving Italy ten behind, with more than double the points of Jean Alesi in third. The Frenchman himself was in an intense fight for third, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen, David Coulthard, Gerhard Berger and Eddie Irvine all within ten points of Alesi.
In the Constructors Championship had done some serious damage, leaving Italy just a point off the lead. Indeed, it had been a fairly dismal day for the tifosi, with 's solitary point the only reason that they still held the lead. Behind, had maintained their hold on third, with only able to inch slightly closer in fourth.
World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers
Pos. 	Driver 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	Michael Schumacher 	67 	
2 	Jacques Villeneuve 	57 	
3 	Jean Alesi 	28 	1
4 	Heinz-Harald Frentzen 	27 	1
5 	David Coulthard 	24 	3
6 	Gerhard Berger 	21 	1
7 	Eddie Irvine 	18 	1
8 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	17 	1
9 	Olivier Panis 	15 	1
10 	Mika Häkkinen 	14 	
11 	Johnny Herbert 	14 	
12 	Ralf Schumacher 	11 	
13 	Damon Hill 	7 	
14 	Rubens Barrichello 	6 	
15 	Alexander Wurz 	4 	
16 	Jarno Trulli 	3 	
17 	Mika Salo 	2 	
18 	Shinji Nakano 	2 	
19 	Nicola Larini 	1 	
World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors
Pos. 	Team 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	 	85 	
2 	 	84 	
3 	 	53 	
4 	 	38 	
5 	 	28 	
6 	 	20 	
7 	 	15 	
8 	 	7 	
9 	 	6 	
10 	 	2 	
Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown.
==References==
Images and Videos:
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References:
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:Italian Grand Prix
Category:1997 Grands Prix
Category:Formula One races in Italy