The racing career of Jack Christopherson 1991-????

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Christopherson 44
Hill 41
Schumacher 39
Hakkinen 26
Coulthard 24
Berger 18
Alesi 16
Irvine 16
Panis 8
Herbert 7
Fisichella 6
Lamy 3
Barrichello 3
Brundle 3
Salo 3
Frentzen 2
Verstappen 1

Constructors Championship
Williams 85
Ferrari 55
McLaren 50
Benetton 34
Minardi 9
Sauber 9
Ligier 8
Jordan 6
Tyrrell 3
Footwork 1
Forti 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 11 - GERMAN GRAND PRIX - Hockenheim

PRE-RACE
Minardi have announced that Pedro Lamy has been replaced by Italian pay-driver Giovanni Lavaggi, who had a brief spell at Pacific in 1995. The 38-year-old brings in vital sponsorship to the Minardi team. Forti are the team who probably needed sponsorship even more, although they have managed to still survive to the German Grand Prix. For 1997, Damon Hill has announced that he will be leaving Williams. He is considering the renamed Arrows team as a driving option for next year.

QUALIFYING
Another race, another pole for me, this time I was much quicker than Michael Schumacher throughout qualifying, much to the dismay of the German crowd. Hill qualified 3rd and was not much slower than Schumacher, followed by the two McLarens, and the two Benettons, in the order, Hakkinen, Coulthard, Alesi and Berger. Normality was the order of qualifying.

1. Christopherson 1.47.365
2. Schumacher 1.48.109
3. Hill 1.48.432

RACE
I made a very poor start, and paid the price. My race lasted about 15 seconds, as I was involved in a collision with Eddie Irvine in the Ferrari, which it has to be said was my fault. Panis and Fisichella were also caught up in the aftermath, as not everyone could avoid the wreckage. Schumacher then stormed ahead of the pack with Hill second, followed by Coulthard, Alesi, Hakkinen and Berger. Hakkinen suffered a right rear puncture on lap 11, and spun because of it. He recovered, but in last place, or 18th, however you want to see it. Badoer was the next to retire, with clutch problems, he was running in 14th place, ahead of Hakkinen after his puncture, Rosset, Montermini and Lavaggi. The race was fairly boring in the front half of the field, as nothing really happened for the early part of the race. Meanwhile, further back, Diniz was blocking heavily, and caused an accident with Johnny Herbert in his Sauber. On lap 27, Coulthard passed Berger going into the stadium section of the track for 3rd place. Hakkinen done well to fight back, although he was not going to score any points. Damon Hill suffered gearbox problems late in the race, and tried to reach the finish. He done so, and salvaged 2 points in the process, by taking 5th place. Schumacher won a crucial race much to the delight of his home crowd, and with the rumours of his younger brother Ralf joining Jordan in 1997, Germany are looking to become a nation famous for Formula 1. Martin Brundle rounded off the points, scoring 1 point by finishing 6th.

1. Schumacher 1hr 25m 35.873s
2. Coulthard +29.723s
3. Berger +35.680s
4. Alesi +49.921s
5. Hill +1m 31.724s
6. Brundle +1 Lap
7. Hakkinen +1 Lap
8. Barrichello +1 Lap
9. Katayama +2 Laps
10. Salo +2 Laps
11. Verstappen +2 Laps
12. Montermini +3 Laps

Fastest Lap: Michael Schumacher 1.48.479

REJECT OF THE RACE: Jack Christopherson - Refused to back off in turn 1, and paid the price.

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Schumacher 49
Christopherson 44
Hill 43
Coulthard 30
Hakkinen 26
Berger 22
Alesi 19
Irvine 16
Panis 8
Herbert 7
Fisichella 6
Brundle 4
Lamy 3
Barrichello 3
Salo 3
Frentzen 2
Verstappen 1

Constructors Championship
Williams 87
Ferrari 65
McLaren 56
Benetton 41
Minardi 9
Sauber 9
Ligier 8
Jordan 7
Tyrrell 3
Footwork 1
Forti 0

[wmetcalf68]

Is this going to continue?

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 12 - 1996 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX - Hungaroring

PRE-RACE
As always, Hungary is the location for talks about next year. Ralf Schumacher, Michael's younger brother has been announced as Fisichella's partner at Jordan for 1997, consequently leading Brundle to announce his retirement from F1 racing. Heinz-Harald Frentzen was announced as Damon Hill's replacement at Williams. Hill has decided on one last season in F1, at Arrows. His teammate is yet to be named. Olivier Panis will stay at Ligier for another year, with an option to extend the contract further. Pedro Diniz is rumoured to be sacked at the end of the season. 12 out of the 26 seats are still vacant, although Mika Salo is on the verge of extending his contract at Tyrrell.

QUALIFYING
Qualifying didn't go too well, as I was only 6th fastest, I was not enjoying this circuit, and it was easy to see why. Schumacher was the only man to break the 80 second barrier, as he was in fine form. He was the man to beat, and I made stopping him securing a third championship even harder. Hill done very well to keep around 3 tenths from him.

1. Schumacher 1.19.825
2. Hill 1.20.152
3. Hakkinen 1.20.702

5. Berger 1.21.123
6. Christopherson 1.21.425
7. Alesi 1.21.825

RACE
Hill made a good start and beat Schumacher off the line, as I had little room, I moved onto the tarmac pit-side of the track, and got a controversial stop-go penalty for it, dropping me down to 21st place, as Montermini retired on the first lap. Nothing notable, apart from just making my moves on drivers at the right places. Verstappen then retired with an oil leak in his Footwork, although he was near the back anyway, so it didn't change the course of the race. Frentzen spun off on lap 18. Attrition was reasonably high, as after Hakkinen pitted, he was involved in a 50-50 with former teammate Martin Brundle. Both drivers were out immediately. Hill was keeping Schumacher honest and keeping a safe gap over the Ferrari driver. Schumacher's wheel loosened half way through lap 53, and it dropped him even behind me. He had a lot of work to do if he was to score some serious points. Damon Hill's lead was then made even more comfortable, before an off-track excursion with 8 laps to go cost him the win, and possibly the championship although that remains to be seen. This gave McLaren an unlikely lead with David Coulthard. I was in 6th, and with 4 laps to go, slipstreamed Eddie Irvine, and passed him down the inside of turn 1 to take 2nd. Coulthard held on to win the Hungarian Grand Prix, with only 9 drivers finishing the race. Benetton were the only team to get both drivers into the points, Berger 2nd and Alesi 4th. Barrichello scored a podium for Jordan, Schumacher couldn't make the points, and finished only ahead of Salo, in the much slower Tyrrell. All 9 drivers finished on the lead lap.

1. Coulthard 1hr 49m 45.832s
2. Berger +19.621s
3. Barrichello +21.223s
4. Alesi +29.598s
5. Christopherson +41.723s
6. Irvine +45.610s
7. Panis +51.384s
8. Schumacher +58.689s
9. Salo +1m 11.234s

Fastest Lap: Damon Hill 1.20.486

REJECT OF THE RACE: Damon Hill - Careless spin could be costly

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Schumacher 49
Christopherson 46
Hill 43
Coulthard 40
Berger 28
Hakkinen 26
Alesi 22
Irvine 17
Panis 8
Herbert 7
Fisichella 6
Barrichello 6
Brundle 4
Lamy 3
Salo 3
Frentzen 2
Verstappen 1

Constructors Championship
Williams 89
Ferrari 66
McLaren 66
Benetton 50
Jordan 10
Minardi 9
Sauber 9
Ligier 8
Tyrrell 3
Footwork 1
Forti 0

[AdrianSutil]

Close drivers championship, could be decided at the last race if things keep going as they are. Also loving Minardi in 6th

[Wizzie]

DC's also an outside chance if the leaders keep stuffing up but I for one want Christopherson to win

[FullMetalJack]

Close drivers championship, could be decided at the last race if things keep going as they are. Also loving Minardi in 6th

They were 5th for ages, Jordan only overtook them this race.

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 13 - 1996 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX - Spa Francorchamps

QUALIFYING
Qualifying was quite disappointing for me, Schumacher was once again the king of Saturdays with McLaren right up there. I was even slower than the Benettons, as I was 7th fastest, just ahead of Barrichello and Irvine. Jos Verstappen drove the wheels off his Footwork to qualify 11th. The Dutchman, affectionately known as Jos the Boss in the paddock, has been linked to Tyrrell, and has certainly turned a few heads with his efforts, despite them being unrewarded.

1. Schumacher 1.51.234
2. Hill 1.51.395
3. Coulthard 1.51.689

6. Alesi 1.52.991
7. Christopherson 1.53.326
8. Barrichello 1.53.409

RACE
The conditions at the start of the race were horrible for the drivers, but the spectators were in for a treat. And the race didn't disappoint. Schumacher was very slow off the line, Hill and Coulthard took full advantage. Hakkinen and Berger collided at La Source. There was also trouble further back as Fisichella tried to avoid the stricken cars, and collected teammate Lavaggi in the process. A bad day for the Faenza team, Fisichella could well have scored points if the attrition was high enough, as he qualified 16th in the dry. Within a few laps, I passed Schumacher for 3rd, and the track was drying up. Unfortunately for me, Hill got to the pits first, and I had to wait for tyres. I also made the mistake of going for slicks, thinking that it was dry enough. And unsurprisingly, it didn't end well, I ended in the barriers. Pedro Diniz got stuck in 3rd gear, so he toured the rest of the way around the circuit, and retired his Ligier. Barrichello spun from 4th place in his Jordan, ruining a promising weekend. Schumacher didn't last long either, as a fuel pump issue ended his race early. Around halfway through the race, the remaining drivers switched to slicks. Coulthard doing so one lap before Hill, and it was looking to pay dividends, as it handed him the lead of the race. With just a few laps remaining, Coulthard's gearbox packed in, and it cost him 10 potentially vital points. This handed 3rd place to Martin Brundle, who was enjoying his final races, and what a way to show you've still got it, a podium at Spa with arguably the 5th best car. Damon Hill took what was a crucial win in his championship bid. As neither myself, Coulthard or Schumacher finishing, this could be a deciding factor in who is crowned champion at the end of the season. Irvine finished 2nd after a disappointing qualifying. Panis scored yet again for Ligier, whilst Salo scored a rare point for Tyrrell. Montermini was the last classified finisher, dragging his Forti home in 10th place. A good effort.

1. Hill 1hr 30m 23.667s
2. Irvine +19.881s
3. Brundle +35.745s
4. Panis +39.451s
5. Frentzen +56.120s
6. Salo +1 Lap
7. Herbert +1 Lap
8. Katayama +1 Lap
9. Verstappen +1 Lap
10. Montermini +2 Laps

Fastest Lap: Coulthard 1.53.196

REJECT OF THE RACE: Minardi - All over at the first turn.

[FullMetalJack]

Bold indicates a mathematical chance of winning their respective championship

Drivers Championship
Hill 53
Schumacher 49
Christopherson 46
Coulthard 40
Berger 28
Hakkinen 26
Irvine 23
Alesi 22
Panis 11
Herbert 7
Brundle 8
Fisichella 6
Barrichello 6
Frentzen 4
Salo 4
Lamy 3
Verstappen 1

Constructors Championship
Williams 99
Ferrari 72
McLaren 66
Benetton 50
Jordan 14
Ligier 11
Sauber 11
Minardi 9
Tyrrell 4
Footwork 1
Forti 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 14 - 1996 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX - Monza

QUALFIYING
It was a race I knew I had to win to keep my championship hopes alive. Unforunately I didn't quite get the perfect start, qualifying 3rd, behind both of my championship rivals. Hill scoring an unpopular pole position, as the tifosi are all rooting for Schumacher. I was just ahead of Coulthard and Berger, this could have all the makings of an interesting race.

1. Hill 1.27.120
2. Schumacher 1.27.485
3. Christopherson 1.28.036
4. Coulthard 1.28.191
5. Berger 1.28.496

RACE
My start was pretty good, Hill's was bad, and he ended up coming together with Gerhard Berger at turn 1. This was partially because rain was on the way. I decided to go for wets on the first lap, and it would pay dividends. Schumacher and co waited til lap 3 or 4, where the rain started to come down quite heavily. If it stayed like it was at the end of the first lap, inters would have been the best choice. By the time the other drivers pitted, I had built a huge gap over them all. This would be crucial for the championship, to quote Legard. Schumacher was in 3rd place for a while, with the out of sync Johnny Herbert in 2nd place for a couple of laps. The race was quite boring from my view, but I didn't care. About 40 laps in, I lapped Schumacher The only other thing that happened was Panis taking 2nd place, deciding to stop as few times as possible, and was rewarded with 2nd place. I took what was an important chequered flag a whole lap ahead of Panis and Schumacher. Irvine's engine failed right at the end of the race, on lap 52, although this only cost him one point.

1. Christopherson 1hr 38m 42.985s
2. Panis +1 Lap
3. Schumacher +1 Lap
4. Brundle +1 Lap
5. Irvine +1 Lap
6. Coulthard +2 Laps
7. Herbert +2 Laps
8. Hakkinen +2 Laps
9. Montermini +4 Laps
10. Rosset +4 Laps

Fastest Lap: Christopherson 1.39.227

REJECT OF THE RACE: Irvine's engine, failing with a few corners to go.

[FullMetalJack]

Bold indicates a mathematical chance of winning their respective championship

Drivers Championship
Christopherson 56
Schumacher 55
Hill 53
Coulthard 41
Berger 28
Hakkinen 26
Irvine 25
Alesi 22
Panis 17
Brundle 11
Herbert 7
Fisichella 6
Barrichello 6
Frentzen 4
Salo 4
Lamy 3
Verstappen 1

Constructors Championship
Williams 109
Ferrari 80
McLaren 67
Benetton 50
Ligier 17
Jordan 17
Sauber 11
Minardi 9
Tyrrell 4
Footwork 1
Forti 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 15 - 1996 PORTUGUESE GRAND PRIX - Estoril

PRE-RACE
Ligier have made a change for the last two races, and want to test Shinji Nakano out, if he impresses, he could find himself with a full time seat for 1997. 4 points would award Williams the Constructors Championship.

QUALIFYING
Qualifying was half decent, as I at least managed to out-qualify Hill, although Schumacher was half a second a lap faster than anyone else. Coulthard's slim title hopes were as good as over, as he would start from 4th. Heinz-Harald Frentzen was 7th, ahead of Berger and Hakkinen, unusually high for Sauber. Can he perform like that at Williams next year? Forti were at the back unsurprisingly, whilst new boy Nakano was 16th on the grid.

1. Schumacher 1.20.465
2. Christopherson 1.21.003
3. Hill 1.21.221

RACE
Heavy rain hit the Estoril circuit, almost as bad as the 1985 event. At the start, Hill zoomed ahead of me, and even forced his way through Schumacher. Hill needed this win, the question was whether or not he could hold onto it. The first driver to retire from the race was Coulthard, who spun off at turn 1 only 4 laps into the race, Lavaggi doing the same one lap later. The order early on was Hill, Schumacher, Christopherson, Alesi, Frentzen and Irvine. Irvine took Frentzen's 5th place without much trouble. Alesi was the fastest man on track in the early stages, and during the first round of stops, he caught up with me. I ran slightly wide and lost all grip, my race was over, and possibly my championship hopes. Hill's title credentials were virtually gone as well, as his Williams started leaking oil, and he pulled off the track. A huge collision took place just after turn 5, between Johnny Herbert, and a lapped Jos Verstappen. Things were going Schumacher's way, although in the second round of stops, he was not quick enough to hold off Alesi's challenge. I had a fighting chance if it stayed this way, which it did, as Alesi took a rare win in his underperforming Benetton. Both Ferraris scored podiums, but that was not enough to stop Williams becoming Constructors Champions. The 2 hour mark passed, and only 61 laps were completed, rather than the scheduled 70.

1. Alesi 2hr 00.12.274s
2. Schumacher +20.119s
3. Irvine +34.625s
4. Barrichello +1 Lap
5. Hakkinen +1 Lap
6. Frentzen +1 Lap
7. Panis +1 Lap
8. Brundle +2 Laps
9. Verstappen +3 Laps
10. Katayama +3 Laps
11. Nakano +3 Laps
12. Fisichella +4 Laps
13. Montermini +5 Laps

Fastest Lap: Jean Alesi 1.47.589

REJECT OF THE RACE: David Coulthard - Careless spin at turn 1 ended bad weekend.

[FullMetalJack]

Bold indicates a mathematical chance of winning their respective championship

Drivers Championship
Schumacher 61
Christopherson 56
Hill 53
Coulthard 41
Alesi 32
Irvine 29
Hakkinen 28
Berger 28
Panis 17
Brundle 11
Barrichello 9
Herbert 7
Fisichella 6
Frentzen 5
Salo 4
Lamy 3
Verstappen 1

Constructors Championship
Williams 109
Ferrari 90
McLaren 69
Benetton 60
Jordan 20
Ligier 17
Sauber 12
Minardi 9
Tyrrell 4
Footwork 1
Forti 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 16 - 1996 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX - Suzuka

QUALIFYING
The final qualifying session of the season, I needed to win this race without Schumacher finishing 2nd to make me champion. Pole position would be advantageous. I knew I had to deliver the lap of my life. I may not have quite done that, but I was quick enough to secure pole position. Unfortunately, Schumacher was second quickest. Winning would not guarantee me the championship. Damon Hill was 3rd fastest, with very little chance of becoming World Champion.

1. Christopherson 1.39.419
2. Schumacher 1.39.920
3. Hill 1.40.538

RACE
The Chain had played for the last time, and it was time to crown a champion. FIVE LIGHTS!!! AND IT'S GO GO GO GO!!!! I made quite a good start and kept Schumacher at bay. Three championship contenders became two, as Hill never got going. This caused carnage in the middle of the pack, as Rubens Barrichello and Johnny Herbert both came together and retired on the spot. Surprisingly, the Safety Car was not deployed, as the cars were cleared from the track quickly. Mika Hakkinen had kept up with Schumacher and myself, and the three of us slowly pulled away from the other 16 drivers left in the race. Frentzen became the 4th retirement of the race, with his Ford engine blowing. A disappointing end to what had not been a great season for Sauber. I managed to pull away from Schumacher, and Hakkinen managed to keep the pressure on him. I needed him to pass Schumacher if I wanted to be champion. Eddie Irvine's poor season ended with a hydraulics failure after 25 laps. The race quieted down a bit, with a few passes happening, and great strategy giving Verstappen a chance of points with some luck, his strategy putting him ahead of the rest of the midfield. I won the race, and I just had to wait and find out if Hakkinen could pass Schumacher. He didn't, and Schumacher became a 3 time World Champion. I only missed out by one point. Salo scored another point for Tyrrell, Verstappen just missed out on points, Brundle finished 9th in his last race, where Nakano finished 10th in his home race, beating Katayama home.

1. Christopherson 1hr 37m 25.349s
2. Schumacher +12.306s
3. Hakkinen +14.531s
4. Berger +45.558s
5. Coulthard +51.237s
6. Salo +1m 20.103s
7. Verstappen +1 Lap
8. Panis +1 Lap
9. Brundle +1 Lap
10. Nakano +2 Laps
11. Katayama +2 Laps
12. Fisichella +3 Laps
13. Rosset +3 Laps
14. Lavaggi +4 Laps
15. Badoer +4 Laps
16. Montermini +4 Laps

Fastest Lap: Mika Hakkinen 1.39.505

REJECT OF THE RACE: Damon Hill - Stalling was an embarrassing way to end season

It's been an incredible season, it's an amazing experience driving for a front-running team, and you have to make the most of it. I've learnt a lot, and will definitely take the experience and go for a full fledged assault for the championship next year. I'll have a great teammate in Heinz-Harald Frentzen, and I believe I can stop the Schumacher juggernaut.

[FullMetalJack]

Bold indicates World Champions

Drivers Championship
Schumacher 67
Christopherson 66
Hill 53
Coulthard 43
Alesi 32
Hakkinen 32
Berger 31
Irvine 29
Panis 17
Brundle 11
Barrichello 9
Herbert 7
Fisichella 6
Frentzen 5
Salo 5
Lamy 3
Verstappen 1

Constructors Championship
Williams 119
Ferrari 96
McLaren 75
Benetton 63
Jordan 20
Ligier 17
Sauber 12
Minardi 9
Tyrrell 5
Footwork 1
Forti 0

[FullMetalJack]

Driver Rankings
1. Michael Schumacher 8.5
2. Jack Christopherson 7.5
3. David Coulthard 7.5
4. Olivier Panis 7.0
5. Damon Hill 7.0
6. Jean Alesi 7.0
7. Mika Salo 7.0
8. Mika Hakkinen 6.5
9. Gerhard Berger 6.0
10. Johnny Herbert 6.0
11. Jos Verstappen 6.0
12. Giancarlo Fisichella 6.0
13. Martin Brundle 5.5
14. Rubens Barrichello 5.5
15. Heinz-Harald Frentzen 5.5
16. Eddie Irvine 5.0
17. Luca Badoer 5.0
18. Shinji Nakano 5.0
19. Pedro Lamy 5.0
20. Andrea Montermini 4.0
21. Giovanni Lavaggi 4.0
22. Ukyo Katayama 4.0
23. Pedro Diniz 3.0
24. Ricardo Rosset 3.0

Team Rankings
1. Williams Renault 8.5
2. McLaren Mercedes 8.0
3. Ferrari 7.0
4. Ligier Mugen Honda 6.5
5. Jordan Peugeot 6.5
6. Tyrrell Yamaha 5.5
7. Benetton Renault 5.5
8. Sauber Ford 5.0
9. Minardi Ford 4.0
10. Footwork Hart 4.0
11. Forti Ford 3.0

REJECT OF THE YEAR

3rd - Forti

2nd - Pedro Diniz

1st - Ricardo Rosset

[FullMetalJack]

1997 FIA OFFICIAL ENTRY LIST

Ferrari
1. Michael Schumacher
2. Eddie Irvine

Williams Renault
3. Jack Christopherson
4. Heinz-Harald Frentzen

McLaren Mercedes
5. Mika Hakkinen
6. David Coulthard

Benetton Renault
7. Jean Alesi
8. Gerhard Berger

Jordan Peugeot
9. Ralf Schumacher
10. Giancarlo Fisichella

Prost Mugen Honda
11. Olivier Panis
12. Shinji Nakano

Sauber Ford
14. Johnny Herbert
15. Gianni Morbidelli

Minardi Hart
16. Ukyo Katayama
17. Jarno Trulli

Tyrrell Ford
18. Jos Verstappen
19. Mika Salo

Arrows Yamaha
20. Damon Hill
21. Pedro Diniz

Stewart Ford
22. Rubens Barrichello
23. Jan Magnussen

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 1 - 1997 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX - Melbourne

QUALIFYING
There was a new rule for qualifying for 1997, the 107% rule. Any driver not within 107% of pole position time would not be allowed to qualify for the race. Nobody was outside the 107% time. I stole pole position from Alesi and Michael Schumacher. Frentzen had a less than inspiring Williams debut, only setting the 7th quickest time, behind the Stewart of Rubens Barrichello. The other surprise was Olivier Panis in the newly renamed Prost, he was 4th quickest.

1. Christopherson 1.30.514
2. Alesi 1.31.269
3. M.Schumacher 1.31.348

7. Frentzen 1.32.012

22. Trulli 1.34.992

107% time - 1.36.849

RACE
As the lights went out, I made a good start, and Schumacher jumped Alesi off the line. Katayama locked his brakes at the start, and careered into Magnussen, who somehow escaped with a completely undamaged car. Coulthard made an amazing start, starting 8th and was 5th by the end of the first lap, whilst Alesi went off track and was down to 8th. The order after the first lap was Christopherson, M.Schumacher, Irvine, Panis, Coulthard, Frentzen, Barrichello and Alesi. Barrichello's race didn't last long, his engine dying after just 5 laps. Frentzen made a move on Coulthard for 5th place at turn 1, simply done when driving the fastest car on the grid. Meanwhile, I was pulling away, although Schumacher took the lead when I came in for my first stop. His lead lasted 2 laps, when he stopped for fuel and tyres, and I retook the lead. Mika Hakkinen suffered a slow puncture, and he ended in the wall because of it. Eddie Irvine's race ended after 29 laps, the Ferrari powerplant detonating in spectacular fashion. Not much else happened in the race, as I took the chequered flag to win the opening race of the 1997 season. Frentzen scored a podium, and Ralf Schumacher scored a point on his debut.

1. Christopherson 1hr 31m 25.679s
2. M.Schumacher +14.347s
3. Frentzen +39.608s
4. Alesi +1m 03.301s
5. Panis +1m 11.214s
6. R.Schumacher +1 Lap
7. Coulthard +1 Lap
8. Berger +1 Lap
9. Fisichella +1 Lap
10. Magnussen +1 Lap
11. Salo +2 Laps
12. Verstappen +2 Laps
13. Nakano +2 Laps
14. Hill +2 Laps
15. Morbidelli +2 Laps
16. Trulli +3 Laps

Fastest Lap: Christopherson 1.31.272

REJECT OF THE RACE: McLaren - Failing to score is not exactly the best way to start "championship challenge"

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Christopherson 10
M.Schumacher 6
Frentzen 4
Alesi 3
Panis 2
R.Schumacher 1

Constructors Championship
Williams 14
Ferrari 6
Benetton 3
Prost 2
Jordan 1
McLaren 0
Stewart 0
Tyrrell 0
Arrows 0
Sauber 0
Minardi 0

[FMecha]

Why no Lola this season?

[FullMetalJack]

Why no Lola this season?

Because the mod doesn't have the Lola yet.

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 2 - 1997 BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX - Interlagos

QUALIFYING
The Brazilian Grand Prix will only have 21 starters, as Jean Alesi of Benetton failed to set a qualifying time, therefore will not be allowed to start the race. Ferrari struggled greatly here with Schumacher and Irvine 10th and 14th respectively. Stewart Grand Prix were extremely fast here, Rubens Barrichello qualified a stunning 4th in front of his adoring fans, with rookie Jan Magnussen an impressive 6th. Row 4 belonged to Jordan, Nakano was 9th for Prost, ahead of Panis in 11th. Hakkinen struggled down in 15th whilst Coulthard was 5th. Oh, and I got pole position, but who cares.

1. Christopherson 1.14.569
2. Frentzen 1.15.105
3. Berger 1.15.392

21. Katayama 1.18.769

107% time - 1.19.788

DNQ. Alesi - No time set

RACE
I made a poor start, and lost out to Frentzen and Barrichello. I had to defend hard to stop Berger and even Magnussen in the other Stewart. Frentzen pulled away and Barrichello kept within range of him. Schumacher also made a good start, making up a couple of positions. His brother Ralf was the first retirement of the race, a blown engine after just a handful of laps, unfortunate for him as Jordan were clearly very competitive. Frentzen started to pull away from Barrichello and myself. Coming out of the last turn, I managed to get an excellent slipstream on Barrichello, and passed him around the outside of turn 1, a move that really pleased me. Johnny Herbert and Mika Salo came together at turn 1 on lap 31. A 50-50 incident, so neither driver will be penalised. Through strategy, Panis had worked his way up to 3rd, Fisichella up to 4th, and Barrichello had dropped to 5th. Michael Schumacher passed Barrichello in the final round of pit stops to snatch 5th place. Olivier Panis was on course for a podium, before an engine failure ended his chances. In the end, Frentzen secured victory and I contributed to a Williams 1-2. Fisichella scored a valuable podium for Jordan in what would be a very tight season.

1. Frentzen 1hr 38m 10.631s
2. Christopherson +17.750s
3. Fisichella +46.847s
4. M.Schumacher +49.965s
5. Barrichello +1m 01.259s
6. Hakkinen +1m 14.742s
7. Nakano +1 Lap
8. Morbidelli +1 Lap
9. Hill +2 Laps
10. Verstappen +2 Laps
11. Diniz +3 Laps
12. Trulli +3 Laps
13. Katayama +3 Laps

Fastest Lap - Panis 1.15.672

REJECT OF THE RACE: Sauber - Extremely anonymous and looking like they'll fall behind the midfield.

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Christopherson 16
Frentzen 14
M.Schumacher 9
Fisichella 4
Alesi 3
Panis 2
Barrichello 2
Hakkinen 1
R.Schumacher 1

Constructors Championship
Williams 30
Ferrari 9
Jordan 5
Benetton 3
Prost 2
Stewart 2
McLaren 1
Sauber 0
Arrows 0
Tyrrell 0
Minardi 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 3 - 1997 ARGENTINE GRAND PRIX - Buenos Aires

QUALIFYING
The track was bumpy, very bumpy. It cost me dearly, as after a few laps, I pushed too hard, and went over bumps on the grass, and crashed the car quite heavily. Fortunately, I managed to set 3rd fastest lap at the time. By the time the session ended, I was down to 5th. Michael Schumacher was the quickest man throughout Saturday, somewhat unsurprisingly it has to be said. Irvine backed up Schumacher to show Ferrari's raw pace. Panis once again punched above the Prost's weight, whilst Johnny Herbert put his Sauber in the top 10. Only Ferrari and Williams got both cars into the top 10, with Berger and Hakkinen languishing disappointingly in the midfield.

1. M.Schumacher 1.27.284
2. Alesi 1.27.491
3. Irvine 1.27.802
4. Coulthard 1.27.875
5. Christopherson 1.27.940
6. Panis 1.28.151
7. Frentzen 1.28.223

22. Katayama 1.31.041

107% time: 1.33.393

The track was bumpy as f**k, especially the main straight. Go for a piss before you step in the car, and thank me later.

RACE
At the start, Schumacher made a good start and held off Alesi and Irvine. After a few corners, Hakkinen and Fisichella came together and their races ended before they really started. This brought out the safety car. Verstappen played a risky strategy and fueled heavy to get further into the race. Jan Magnussen's engine stopped after just 11 laps. I was the next retirement, my gearbox failed on lap 20, a pretty miserable weekend over. Michael Schumacher was caught and passed by Jean Alesi halfway through the race, around the same time Barrichello retired, also with an engine failure. The Fords in the back of the Stewarts looking very unreliable. Schumacher retired from 2nd place, putting the car into the barriers. Frentzen passed Irvine for 2nd place, and was set to solidify a championship lead. Verstappen was as high as 6th in his uncompetitive Tyrrell, thanks to gambling with his strategy, and held onto 7th for much of the race after Irvine's retirement thanks to brake problems. Towards the end of the race, Frentzen was catching Alesi, but not quickly enough. The Frenchman held on to take a welcome victory for the Benetton team. Coulthard scored his first points of the season with a podium, along with Johnny Herbert who finished a magnificent 4th.

1. Alesi 1hr 58m 23.279s
2. Frentzen +7.834s
3. Coulthard +22.705s
4. Herbert +30.016s
5. Berger +49.913s
6. Panis +1m 15.516s
7. Hill +1 Lap
8. R.Schumacher +1 Lap
9. Verstappen +1 Lap
10. Salo +1 Lap
11. Nakano +2 Laps
12. Diniz +2 Laps
13. Trulli +3 Laps

Fastest Lap: M.Schumacher 1.27.452

REJECT OF THE RACE: Ferrari - Class of the field, and nothing to show for it.

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Frentzen 20
Christopherson 16
Alesi 13
M.Schumacher 9
Fisichella 4
Coulthard 4
Herbert 3
Panis 3
Berger 2
Barrichello 2
Hakkinen 1
R.Schumacher 1

Constructors Championship
Williams 36
Benetton 15
Ferrari 9
Jordan 5
McLaren 5
Sauber 3
Prost 3
Stewart 2
Arrows 0
Tyrrell 0
Minardi 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 4 - 1997 SAN MARINO GRAND PRIX - Imola

QUALIFYING
The scene of my first win, a year prior. And qualifying went better than even I hoped. Over half a second quicker than the Ferrari duo. With the so far pointless Eddie Irvine ahead of 3-time champion Michael Schumacher. Frentzen was 6th place, behind the two Benettons, who may be somewhat on the rise again. The notable incident was Jarno Trulli blocking Johnny Herbert, whilst Herbert was on a flying lap and Trulli was on an in lap. Trulli received a 5 place grid penalty, although he had only qualified 21st in the first place, behind Shinji Nakano, who had mechanical problems throughout qualifying, but was still comfortably within 107%.

1. Christopherson 1.26.810
2. Irvine 1.27.451
3. M.Schumacher 1.27.486
4. Berger 1.27.595
5. Alesi 1.27.784
6. Frentzen 1.27.980

22. Nakano 1.29.959

107% time 1.32.887

RACE
I made a good start, but not as good as Alesi, as he jumped Berger at the start, as did Fisichella who was a yellow rocket off the line. There was trouble at the back of the grid after a lap or so, as on lap 2, Damon Hill was out as a wheel flew off the car. Luckily no further incident occurred because of this. The opening laps were uneventful, and there were only a few passes. Diniz and Nakano came together on lap 14 at the chicane, Nakano was overambitious and it cost them both, the Japanese rookie managed to trudge back to the pits. The turning point of the race was lap 39, where Frentzen and Schumacher collided at the Coruva Tamburello, and left debris all over the circuit, causing a safety car. The big loser from this was Mika Hakkinen, who fell to near the back of the grid, whilst Verstappen was up to 7th. The Dutchman had qualified a respectable 14th and could have been on for some points. The safety car came in on lap 44, whilst the two Minardis were the only lapped cars at that point, so there was all to race for as far as everyone else was concerned. Verstappen held on to a points position for literally a couple of corners, after passing Coulthard at Tamburello, only to lose the position at Tosa. Irvine was challenging Alesi for 2nd, and going into the final corner on lap 57, he stole 2nd position as well as an extra 2 championship points. In the end, I won the San Marino Grand Prix to reclaim the championship lead, Irvine scored his first points of the season, whilst Barrichello secured another point for the Stewart team.

1. Christopherson 1hr 39m 34.375s
2. Irvine +15.282s
3. Alesi +18.919s
4. Fisichella +25.538s
5. Coulthard +29.734s
6. Barrichello +38.525s
7. Berger +41.223s
8. Hakkinen +44.918s
9. Verstappen +47.015s
10. Herbert +1m 09.089s
11. Salo +1m 15.740s
12. Morbidelli +1m 18.631s
13. Katayama +1 Lap

Fastest Lap: Michael Schumacher 1.28.737s

REJECT OF THE RACE: Jarno Trulli - For a rookie weekend.

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Christopherson 26
Frentzen 20
Alesi 17
M.Schumacher 9
Fisichella 7
Irvine 6
Coulthard 6
Herbert 3
Panis 3
Barrichello 3
Berger 2
Hakkinen 1
R.Schumacher 1

Constructors Championship
Williams 46
Benetton 19
Ferrari 15
Jordan 8
McLaren 7
Sauber 3
Prost 3
Stewart 3
Arrows 0
Tyrrell 0
Minardi 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 5 - 1997 MONACO GRAND PRIX - Monte Carlo

QUALIFYING
A good result here could really set me up nicely to win the championship this year. Grid position has never been more vital. Michael Schumacher making the most of qualifying whilst I didn't. He was on pole, I was 8th. Schumacher's dominance was like that of Senna at this circuit 9 years before, over a second quicker than Jean Alesi in 2nd. McLaren struggled badly, 10th and 12th was all they could manage. Jos Verstappen punched above his weight to start 9th for Tyrrell. Schumacher's dominance caused four drivers to qualify outside 107%, with Michael's own brother only just getting in within that time. Trulli done well not only to qualify, but to be quicker than Ralf Schumacher and Mika Salo, to start 16th.

1. M.Schumacher 1.17.228
2. Alesi 1.18.574
3. Frentzen 1.18.759

7. Herbert 1.19.686
8. Christopherson 1.19.841
9. Verstappen 1.19.943

18. Salo 1.22.581

107% time 1.22.632

DNQ Morbidelli 1.23.096
DNQ Nakano 1.23.751
DNQ Diniz 1.24.525
DNQ Katayama 1.25.366

RACE
The start could have been chaotic, but it wasn't, possibly due to there only being 18 cars at the start. I managed to get ahead of Herbert, and was in the points after just a few laps, thanks to Berger's engine expiring in the tunnel, not a safe place, but everyone managed to avoid the stationary car. I made a pass on Irvine for 5th place before chasing down Fisichella. Frentzen retired after 20 laps with hydraulic problems. I passed Fisichella going into the Nouvelle Chicane for 3rd place, which would become 1st later on. On lap 41, Michael Schumacher and Frentzen collided at the Nouvelle Chicane, bringing out the safety car. Frentzen was to blame. He was only near Schumacher after having stopped less, Schumacher was on course to win comfortably. On Lap 60, the safety car came out, thanks to mayhem at the Loews Hairpin, involving Panis and Coulthard. The wreckage couldn't be cleared, so the race was stopped on Lap 65, with 9 drivers left in the race, all drivers still on the lead lap. This gave me my second Monaco win, with a lot of fortune contributing to it, with Fisichella and Irvine completing the podium. Jan Magnussen and Jos Verstappen both escaped reject status finishing 4th and 5th respectively whilst Ralf Schumacher salvaged a point after just qualifying.

1. Christopherson 1hr 29m 32.245s
2. Fisichella +1.647s
3. Irvine +2.903s
4. Magnussen +3.445s
5. Verstappen +5.196s
6. R.Schumacher +5.909s
7. Trulli +7.002s
8. Herbert +8.378s
9. Barrichello +8.973s

Fastest Lap: Frentzen 1.19.204

REJECT OF THE RACE: Morbidelli, Nakano, Diniz and Katayama - Failing to qualify when Trulli did so. (Katayama is also in a Minardi, but gets the award for being so much slower than Trulli)

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Christopherson 36
Frentzen 20
Alesi 17
Fisichella 13
Irvine 10
M.Schumacher 9
Coulthard 6
Herbert 3
Magnussen 3
Panis 3
Barrichello 3
Berger 2
Verstappen 2
R.Schumacher 2
Hakkinen 1

Constructors Championship
Williams 56
Benetton 19
Ferrari 19
Jordan 15
McLaren 7
Stewart 6
Sauber 3
Prost 3
Tyrrell 2
Arrows 0
Minardi 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 7 - 1997 SPANISH GRAND PRIX - Barcelona

QUALIFYING
After building up a lead in the championship, I could perhaps afford a below par race at what isn't one of my stronger circuits. But this wasn't going to be one of those below par weekends. I took yet another pole position, although only by a couple of tenths. The surprise challenger for pole was Jean Alesi, although both Michael Schumacher and Gerhard Berger were only a few tenths off pole. Benetton were looking very competitive. Frentzen was a disappointing 9th, behind Barrichello and Panis. The field was possibly the closest it has ever been, with all drivers clearly within 107%, even the Arrows and Minardi drivers. Minardi were even slightly ahead of Arrows, in what was encouraging from the small outfit from Faenza.

1. Christopherson 1.24.259
2. Alesi 1.24.395
3. M.Schumacher 1.24.515

9. Frentzen 1.25.024

22. Hill 1.26.927

107% time: 1.30.157

RACE
I made a relatively poor start, I was too focused on stopping Alesi from passing me that I failed to notice Schumacher in my mirrors and he rocketed into the lead, and it was game over for the rest of the afternoon, as his pace was virtually unmatchable in the opening laps of the race. The real winner in the early stages was Panis who seemed to move up a position every lap, and was up to 4th by the end of the third lap, even challenging Alesi for 3rd. Alesi however was an early retirement, with a throttle problem after just 11 laps. Panis was running light, which explained his staggering pace, although he was still 5th after the first round of pitstops, ahead of Coulthard. Halfway through the race, I was about 25 seconds behind Schumacher. With about 20 laps to go, Panis's Prost broke down yet again, from a promising 5th place. Prost, and Panis in particular have not had an abundance in luck, to put it mildly so far. In the closing stages of the race, I was catching Schumacher, but only by about 0.3-0.5 seconds a lap, which was not enough. Michael Schumacher took his first victory of the season ahead of myself and Gerhard Berger. McLaren finally score some decent points, whilst Jordan are in the points yet again. Minardi had reason to be optimistic, as both Minardis finished ahead of both Arrows.

1. M. Schumacher 1hr 31m 49.212s
2. Christopherson +18.051s
3. Berger +45.679s
4. Hakkinen +55.178s
5. Coulthard +59.813s
6. Fisichella +1m 07.708s
7. Barrichello +1m 19.230s
8. R. Schumacher +1 Lap
9. Herbert +1 Lap
10. Nakano +1 Lap
11. Magnussen +2 Laps
12. Salo +2 Laps
13. Katayama +3 Laps
14. Trulli +3 Laps
15. Hill +3 Laps
16. Diniz +3 Laps

Fastest Lap: Jack Christopherson 1.24.023

REJECT OF THE RACE: Arrows - For being even slower than Minardi

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Christopherson 42
Frentzen 20
M.Schumacher 19
Alesi 17
Fisichella 14
Irvine 10
Coulthard 8
Berger 6
Hakkinen 4
Herbert 3
Magnussen 3
Panis 3
Barrichello 3
Verstappen 2
R.Schumacher 2

Constructors Championship
Williams 62
Ferrari 29
Benetton 23
Jordan 16
McLaren 12
Stewart 6
Sauber 3
Prost 3
Tyrrell 2
Arrows 0
Minardi 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 7 - 1997 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX - Montreal

QUALIFYING
Another strong track for me. After a good result at one of my weaker circuits last time out, anything less than a win this time out would be a disappointment. I wasn't disappointed in qualifying, scoring yet another pole position. The main story was Katayama failing to set a time, after a collision with Damon Hill in qualifying. Hill had managed to record a time within 107%, so he is allowed to race. Rubens Barrichello was the star of the show, setting the 3rd fastest time, less than half a tenth slower than Schumacher.

1. Christopherson 1.20.415
2. M.Schumacher 1.20.929
3. Barrichello 1.20.974
4. Frentzen 1.21.299

21. Trulli 1.25.358

107% time - 1.26.044

DNQ. Katayama - No Time

RACE
The first start was okay for me, I just managed to hold off Schumacher and kept the lead. However, around half way around the lap, carnage happened. Irvine spun, collecting Fisichella, Hill and Diniz, with Panis damaging his car. The race was to be restarted, Panis could continue, as he only damaged his front wing, but the others were finished for the weekend. Arrows' weekend was over. At the second start I made a decent getaway and held off Michael Schumacher. During the race, I pulled away at an alarming rate. The race was very uneventful and there were no retirements up until lap 40, Coulthard hitting a wall and Morbidelli colliding with Verstappen when Morbidelli was trying to take avoiding action. The race brought out the safety car, to the benefit of Jan Magnussen who had just pitted, and didn't need to again for the rest of the race. The safety car stayed out for 7 laps, and as it got underway, I pulled away again ahead of Berger, Frentzen and Ralf Schumacher. Michael had chose to pit during the safety car period. With 12 laps to go, Magnussen's engine gave up and cost him 4th place. At the end of the race, only 9 drivers survived the attrition out of the 21 starters. I was the leading driver, to take another 10 points, and extend my lead in the title race yet again. Olivier Panis was a superb 2nd ahead of Frentzen in the second Williams. The other big winner of the weekend would have to be Mika Salo, scoring his first points of the season with a magnificent 4th place finish. The safety car cost Michael Schumacher dearly, who could only recover to 6th.

1. Christopherson 1hr 46m 32.738s
2. Panis +19.250s
3. Frentzen +22.782s
4. Salo +35.813s
5. R.Schumacher +40.429s
6. M.Schumacher +42.044s
7. Herbert +49.814s
8. Hakkinen +55.812s
9. Berger +57.901s

Fastest Lap: Jack Christopherson 1.20.251

REJECT OF THE RACE: Eddie Irvine - Caused all the chaos at the first start.

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Christopherson 52
Frentzen 24
M.Schumacher 20
Alesi 17
Fisichella 14
Irvine 10
Panis 9
Coulthard 8
Berger 6
Hakkinen 4
R.Schumacher 4
Salo 3
Herbert 3
Magnussen 3
Barrichello 3
Verstappen 2

Constructors Championship
Williams 76
Ferrari 30
Benetton 23
Jordan 18
McLaren 12
Prost 9
Stewart 6
Tyrrell 5
Sauber 3
Arrows 0
Minardi 0

[BlindCaveSalamander]

Pretty obvious now that Williams made the right decision hiring Christopherson - this is what Villeneuve should've been doing in 1997.

[FullMetalJack]

Pretty obvious now that Williams made the right decision hiring Christopherson - this is what Villeneuve should've been doing in 1997.

I've still got some tracks i'm strong at to go, such as Magny-Cours, Hockenheim and A1-Ring

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 8 - 1997 FRENCH GRAND PRIX - Magny-Cours

PRE-RACE
Minardi have announced that Tarso Marques will drive for the team in the second half of the season. They will make an announcement on which driver is dropped after the British Grand Prix.

QUALIFYING
Qualifying wasn't too bad, although I was beaten to pole by Michael Schumacher by only half a tenth of a second. Frentzen was 3rd for Williams whilst Tyrrell was the major surprise, as they showed a huge step forward, with both cars in the top 10. Pedro Diniz secured his best grid position of the season with 13th. Stewart struggled badly, with Barrichello and Magnussen 19th and 20th respectively. Minardi were not even competitive enough to qualify, as both cars were outside the 107% mark by some margin.

1. M.Schumacher 1.19.187
2. Christopherson 1.19.236
3. Frentzen 1.19.872

20. Magnussen 1.24.223

107% time - 1.24.730

DNQ. Trulli 1.25.896
DNQ. Katayama 1.26.356

RACE
I made a poor start and let Schumacher get away, and I ran wide at turn 1 when overdriving to compensate for my bad start. That ruined my race. After 3 laps, the safety car came out, Coulthard, Alesi and Ralf Schumacher tangled, partially blocking the track. It made very little difference to the order as I was 17th, last out of the drivers still in the race. Stewart's miserable weekend continued with Rubens Barrichello retiring from the race. The race got underway again on lap 8, and I easily disposed of both Arrows drivers, and then passed Gianni Morbidelli, who failed to put up a fight. I had worked my way up to about 10th when the safety car came out again on lap 31, Verstappen had just pitted and was going to try to conserve his tyres for the rest of the race. The safety car was caused by an incident between Irvine and Berger with both drivers retiring. Verstappen led the race from Frentzen, Nakano, Hakkinen, Salo and Herbert. Michael Schumacher's pitstop was poor, and it cost him position. He was leading the race by about 20 seconds beforehand. Verstappen kept the lead for about 3 laps after the safety car had gone back in, suggesting the Tyrrell had genuine pace. Damon Hill retired quietly with brake issues. Frentzen eventually took the lead, and never looked back. Towards the end of the race, Salo retired from engine failure with Magnussen doing the same. Stewart almost got Reject of the Race, but they were only saved by Minardi's woeful qualifying. I benefitted a bit more from this safety car, and was finally in the points after passing Panis and Verstappen, who dropped back. Next up was Shinji Nakano, who was in a tremendous 4th place, I couldn't pass him until the last lap. My teammate Frentzen won the race, ahead of Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher. Ligier scored their first double points finish in a long time.

1. Frentzen 1hr 45m 45.316s
2. Hakkinen +29.173s
3. M.Schumacher +35.731s
4. Christopherson +52.926s
5. Nakano +55.401s
6. Panis +1m 01.272s
7. Verstappen +1m 06.438s
8. Fisichella +1 Lap
9. Herbert +1 Lap
10. Diniz +1 Lap
11. Morbidelli

Fastest Lap: Frentzen 1.18.992

REJECT OF THE RACE: Minardi - Not even close to 107%

[FullMetalJack]

Drivers Championship
Christopherson 55
Frentzen 34
M.Schumacher 24
Alesi 17
Fisichella 14
Irvine 10
Hakkinen 10
Panis 10
Coulthard 8
Berger 6
R.Schumacher 4
Salo 3
Herbert 3
Magnussen 3
Barrichello 3
Verstappen 2
Nakano 2

Constructors Championship
Williams 89
Ferrari 34
Benetton 23
Jordan 18
McLaren 18
Prost 12
Stewart 6
Tyrrell 5
Sauber 3
Arrows 0
Minardi 0

[FullMetalJack]

ROUND 9 - 1997 BRITISH GRAND PRIX - Silverstone

PRE-RACE
Gianni Morbidelli becomes the first driver to be replaced this year, a rookie Austrian driver by the name of Alexander Wurz. This decision has nothing to do with Red Bull wanting an Austrian driver in the sport, as Gerhard Berger is likely to retire at the end of the season.

QUALIFYING
It was a nightmare qualifying session for the McLaren team, as they were right near the tail end of the grid, Hakkinen and Coulthard in 16th and 18th respectively. I took another pole position at my home race alongside Frentzen to make it an all Williams front row. Alexander Wurz had a spectacular debut to qualify 7th, as the best of the rest behind Williams, Ferrari and Benetton. Both Minardis qualified, Trulli 19th ahead of both Arrows drivers, and Katayama last, but within the 107% time by well over 2 seconds.

1. Christopherson 1.27.781
2. Frentzen 1.27.909
3. Alesi 1.27.943

22. Katayama 1.31.547

107% time 1.33.925

RACE
My start was just about good enough to stop Frentzen from overtaking me off the line, and that really helped me, as there were incidents on lap 1, involving Fisichella, Ralf Schumacher, Barrichello and Coulthard. Barrichello being the only one to retire. During the safety car, both Ferraris decided to pit for fresh rubber, moving them to the back of the grid. On lap 6, the safety car went in and it was a Williams 1-2 and a Benetton 3-4 with Magnussen 5th leaping ahead of Wurz who was in 6th. Michael Schumacher was the second retirement of the race, retiring quietly and continuing his season of bad luck. A 4th consecutive World Championship looked less and less likely. There were a fair few overtakes, and the grid remained mixed up thanks to different strategies. On lap 51, Wurz spun, and the two McLarens collided with each other, possibly because of Wurz's spin. A miserable end to a miserable weekend for the Woking outfit. The safety car was out, and the top 6 were Christopherson, Panis, Berger, Magnussen, Verstappen and amazingly, Ukyo Katayama in the Minardi. With just one lap to go, the safety car went in. Could Katayama hold onto a vital point for Minardi in their battle with Arrows? No! Herbert took 6th place from Katayama, and also during the lap passed Verstappen and Magnussen. I held off Panis and Berger to win my home Grand Prix for the second year in a row. Katayama ended in 12th, and the rumours were that it would be him to make way for Marques, having generally been outperformed by Trulli. Irvine's strategy was poor, and it cost him big time, having started 5th and having got ahead of Schumacher at the start, he ended up anonymously finishing 10th.

Also of note, I think this may have been my first Grand Chelem. For those of you who are unaware, that means leading the entire race from pole and scoring the fastest lap in the process.

1. Christopherson 1hr 41m 24.835s
2. Panis +2.271s
3. Berger +3.318s
4. Herbert +4.446s
5. Magnussen +5.596s
6. Verstappen +6.723s
7. Fisichella +7.650s
8. R.Schumacher +8.891s
9. Hill +10.465s
10. Irvine +11.178s
11. Nakano +15.214s
12. Katayama +15.998s
13. Salo +17.834s
14. Wurz +19.673s
15. Diniz +20.095s
16. Trulli +21.025s

Fastest Lap: Christopherson 1.38.236

REJECT OF THE RACE: McLaren - 16th and 18th in qualifying, and then their drivers collide with each other.