Jordan 197

Jordan 197

The 197 on display at Musée de l'Aventure Peugeot
Category	Formula One
Constructor	Jordan
Designer(s)	Gary Anderson (Technical Director) Paul Crooks (Chief Designer) Mark Smith (Chief Engineer) Seamus Mullarkey (Head of Aerodynamics)
Predecessor	196
Successor	198
Technical specifications
Chassis	carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite structure
Suspension (front)	Double wishbones, pushrod
Suspension (rear)	Double wishbones, pushrod
Axle track	Front: 1,700 mm (67 in) Rear: 1,618 mm (63.7 in)
Wheelbase	2,950 mm (116 in)
Engine	Peugeot A14, 3,000 cc (183.1 cu in), 72° V10, NA, mid-engine, longitudinally-mounted
Transmission	Jordan 7-speed sequential semi-automatic
Power	750 hp @ 15,500 rpm
Weight	600 kg (1,300 lb)
Fuel	Total
Tyres	Goodyear
Competition history
Notable entrants	Benson & Hedges Jordan Peugeot
Notable drivers	11. Ralf Schumacher 12. Giancarlo Fisichella
Debut	1997 Australian Grand Prix
Last event	1997 European Grand Prix
Races Wins Podiums Poles F/Laps 17 0 3 0 1
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0

The Jordan 197 was the Formula One car with which the Jordan team competed in the 1997 Formula One World Championship.

Background

Driver change

After a disappointing 1996 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.

Livery

The team's title sponsor, for the second consecutive year, was Benson & Hedges.

The 197 stood out for 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 Benson & Hedges labels were replaced with the snake-related "Bitten & Hisses", or "Ssssschuey" and "Fisssssssi".

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 1998, 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.

Complete Formula One results

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

Year	Team	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Points	WCC
1997	Benson & Hedges Jordan Peugeot	Peugeot V10	G		AUS	BRA	ARG	SMR	MON	ESP	CAN	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	AUT	LUX	JPN	EUR	33	5th
				Ralf Schumacher	Ret	Ret	3	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	6	5	5	5	Ret	Ret	5	Ret	9	Ret
				Giancarlo Fisichella	Ret	8	Ret	4	6	9	3	9	7	11	Ret	2	4	4	Ret	7	11

References

• AUTOCOURSE 1997-98, Henry, Alan (ed.), Hazleton Publishing Ltd. (1997) ISBN 978-1-874557-47-0