1997 Belgian Grand Prix
| 1997 Belgian Grand Prix | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Race 12 of 17 in the 1997 Formula One World Championship
| |||||
| Race details | |||||
| Date | 24 August 1997 | ||||
| Official name | LV Belgian Grand Prix | ||||
| Location |
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps Francorchamps, Wallonia, Belgium | ||||
| 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) | ||||
| 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.