1997 · SPORTING
1997 Sporting Regulations
1997 ran 17 rounds. Points 10-6-4-3-2-1 for top 6, all results counted. The defining sporting moment was the Jerez finale: with Schumacher leading the championship by a point, he collided with a passing Villeneuve — the FIA subsequently disqualified Schumacher from the entire drivers' championship (though not from individual race points), an unprecedented measure reserved for what stewards ruled a deliberate act. Villeneuve was champion.
Unprecedented championship disqualification
The Jerez-1997 disqualification of Schumacher from the drivers' standings — while his Ferrari race points and wins stood intact — established a new regulatory tool: a penalty that targeted championship standing without retroactively altering race records. The mechanism was never used again at that scale, but the precedent influenced how the FIA articulated integrity-related sanctions in the 2000s.
Last updated: 2026-04-24
This summary is editorial material prepared by F1pedia for general F1 audiences. It is not a legal reference. For binding rule text, consult the official FIA document.