The 1997 Formula 1 Rejects Grand Prix 2 Championship season is the fourth season of the F1RGP2C. The season is based upon the 1997 F1 season. Daniel Moreno and Williams started the year as reigning champions, and he would be aided by the retirement of his leading contender in 1996 Pippa Mann. However, the return to form of Ferrari, a fast McLaren and a rejuvinated James Davies would make things harder than ever for the Canadian, who sought to be the first person to retain their title in the F1RGP2C. The team who Moreno had driven for for the entirety of his career, Williams, also sought to be the first team to secure back-to-back constructor's titles in the F1RGP2C
Drivers and teams
Team Changes
- Forti bowed out of the sport at the end of 1996 after the team went into administration following the 1996 German Grand Prix. They were replaced by Clint Mort's MasterCard Lola team.
- Stewart also entered the sport in 1997 which mean that two cars would not qualify for every race.
- After Keith Wiggins parted ways with Petr Chaddeev following a legal battle during the off-season, Wiggins revoked Chaddev's licence to use the Pacific Grand Prix name and so the team became Volga Grand Prix.
- DAMS signed a deal for Peugeot engines.
- Hermann Mann became joint seat-holder at Williams, the first time that joint seat-holders had been implemented since the incarnation of the rule. He would have control over the second Williams seat, while Prince Walik kept control of the first seat, with both seat-holders having input into the test/reserve driver position.
- Guillame Gauthier took over Tyrrell after Eadbhard O'Caiohmin left at the last minute. Gauthier renamed the team to Gauthier, but it was done only partially following Comission's considerations despite unsuccessful protest from Ferrari.
Driver changes
Pre-season
Mid-season
- After the Monaco GP, Gauthier/Tyrrell sacked both drivers and replaced them with Martin McFry and Robert Anderson.
- Stephano Baroncelli broke his finger after the British Grand Prix. He was replaced at Arrows by reserve driver Alejandrina Rodriguez.
- Robert Anderson was fired from Gauthier/Tyrrell after taking out Tom Douglas at the 1997 F1RGP2C Belgian Grand Prix. Anderson set fire to his car after the race when it was announced that he had been replaced in favor of Plinio Vida, an announcement that Guillaume Gauthier personally delivered during a post-race interview. Anderson was banned from racing in Europe for one year after the incident. He was evantually banned permanently from F1RGP2C for doping charges, although it was rescinded (he was instead given a two year ban and one year suspended ban from FIA-sanctioned events).
- Pieter Kickert was fired from Williams after colliding with Daniel Moreno at Monza, ruining Morneo's chance to extend his championship lead. Williams test and reserve driver Clivio Durand stepped in to replace him.
- Jorg Scrattenheim was handed a second Williams chance by Prince Walik, menaing that the German would be in the #2 Williams for the Japan finale.
- To aid new drivers looking to enter the series, and aid the team's bank balance, Gauthier/Tyrrell offered their second seat to anyone interested. After entering negotiations with Johan Gustafsson, Martin McFry offered to leave the team to allow the Swede his F1RGP2C debut, which was followed up on, while the second seat was filled by free agents Frédéric-Maxime Voeckler and Tracey Wyndham.
- Volga Grand Prix signed Japanese pay-driver Yuuri Jougaseki for the last two races of the season, replacing Anton Kaliniczenko.
Calendar
Standings
Drivers'
Constructors'
Pos
|
Constructor
|
Car no.
|
AUS
|
BRA
|
ARG
|
SMR
|
MON
|
ESP
|
CAN
|
USA
|
FRA
|
GBR
|
GER
|
HUN
|
BEL
|
ITA
|
AUS
|
JPN
|
Points
|
1
|
Williams-Renault
|
1
|
DNQ
|
1
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
1
|
1
|
Ret
|
2
|
1
|
Ret
|
1
|
4
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
2
|
Ret
|
121
|
2
|
Ret
|
2
|
8
|
3
|
Ret
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
Ret
|
1
|
Ret
|
3
|
Ret
|
2
|
1
|
Ret
|
2
|
Ferrari
|
5
|
8*
|
3
|
2
|
Ret
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
Ret
|
2
|
12*
|
1
|
Ret
|
11
|
5
|
Ret
|
86
|
6
|
Ret
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
8
|
5
|
4
|
13*
|
4
|
5
|
7
|
2
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
10
|
3
|
Benetton-Renault
|
3
|
2
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
3
|
DNQ
|
3
|
Ret
|
9
|
Ret
|
9
|
Ret
|
1
|
Ret
|
8
|
1
|
50
|
4
|
4
|
Ret
|
5
|
10
|
Ret
|
7
|
8
|
7
|
2
|
6
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
6
|
4
|
Ret
|
4
|
McLaren-Mercedes
|
7
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
1
|
2
|
5
|
4
|
Ret
|
6
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
3
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
18*
|
3
|
49
|
8
|
1
|
13*
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
6
|
8
|
Ret
|
8
|
2
|
14*
|
5
|
Ret
|
7
|
Ret
|
5
|
Jordan-Peugeot
|
9
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
12*
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
7
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
Ret
|
6
|
6
|
4
|
6
|
7
|
47
|
10
|
5*
|
5
|
6
|
13
|
6
|
5
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
4
|
3
|
Ret
|
2
|
Ret
|
1
|
3
|
Ret
|
6
|
Sauber-Petronas
|
11
|
3
|
6
|
10*
|
11
|
Ret
|
10
|
4
|
Ret
|
6
|
7
|
Ret
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
Ret
|
2
|
31
|
12
|
Ret
|
7
|
3
|
Ret
|
9
|
13
|
Ret
|
10
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
10
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
9
|
9
|
4
|
7
|
Ligier-Mugen-Honda
|
14
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
1
|
7
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
3
|
Ret
|
4
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
16*
|
16*
|
5
|
19
|
15
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
7
|
14
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
11
|
Ret
|
10
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
9
|
Ret
|
10
|
11
|
9
|
8
|
DAMS-Peugeot
|
22
|
Ret
|
8
|
Ret
|
5
|
Ret
|
11
|
10
|
Ret
|
7
|
Ret
|
7
|
11
|
3
|
7
|
13
|
12
|
10
|
23
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
6
|
Ret
|
9
|
Ret
|
9
|
8
|
9
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
5
|
12
|
6
|
9
|
Arrows-Yamaha
|
20
|
6
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
9
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
10
|
8
|
Ret
|
8
|
8
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
2
|
21
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
8
|
8
|
6
|
9
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
10
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
10
|
Minardi-Hart
|
16
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
10
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
11
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
7
|
15*
|
14
|
Ret
|
1
|
17
|
7
|
10
|
9
|
7
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
12
|
10
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
6
|
16*
|
Ret
|
14
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
11
|
Stewart-Ford
|
26
|
Ret
|
9
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
8
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
0
|
27
|
Ret
|
11
|
Ret
|
12
|
Ret
|
12
|
Ret
|
11
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
12
|
Ret
|
12
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
12
|
Volga
|
24
|
Ret
|
12
|
DNQ
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
DNQ
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
DNQ
|
Ret
|
15
|
9
|
DNQ
|
|
|
0
|
25
|
Ret
|
Ret
|
DNQ
|
DNQ
|
DNQ
|
14
|
12
|
Ret
|
11
|
Ret
|
11*
|
DNQ
|
DNQ
|
DNQ
|
DNQ
|
Ret
|