Jordan 197

Background

Driver change

After a disappointing season, Eddie Jordan opted to replace Rubens Barrichello and Martin Brundle with two young, inexperienced drivers — German rookie Ralf Schumacher, younger brother of double World Champion Michael Schumacher, and Italy's Giancarlo Fisichella, who had driven eight races for Minardi in 1996.

Technical specifications

The car was powered by the 3-litre Peugeot A14 V10 engine and ran on Goodyear tyres. Fuel was supplied by Total.

Racing history

Schumacher and Fisichella recorded six points finishes each, including three podiums — Schumacher third in Argentina, only his third F1 race, and Fisichella third in Canada and second in Belgium. Fisichella also set the fastest race lap in Spain and qualified on the front row of the grid in Germany, and there was a behind-the-scenes battle between Jordan and Benetton for his services in , a battle eventually won by Benetton. Fisichella eventually finished ninth in the Drivers' Championship with 20 points while Schumacher was twelfth with 13 (both were subsequently promoted a place following Michael Schumacher's exclusion from the standings); the combined 33 points placed Jordan fifth in the Constructors' Championship.

Livery

For the second consecutive year, the team's title sponsor was Benson & Hedges. The 197 stood out of its bright yellow "snake" livery. The car had a snake's eye and fang painted on either side of the nosecone, forked tongues that extended along the sides from the nosecone to the driver's cockpit, and numerous scale effects on other parts of the car. At Grands Prix held in countries that did not allow tobacco advertising, the text were replaced with the snake-related "Bitten & Hisses", covered by a snake skin or "Ssssschuhey" and "Fissssssi".

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

References

• AUTOCOURSE 1997-98, Henry, Alan (ed.), Hazleton Publishing Ltd. (1997)

References

1. "Jordan 197".
2. "Engine Peugeot".