Brazilian Grand Prix 1997 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Jacques Villeneuve bounced back from his Australian disappointment with a dominant victory at Interlagos, converting pole position into an emphatic win for Williams-Renault. The Canadian controlled the race from start to finish, demonstrating the superior pace of the FW19 around the challenging São Paulo circuit. Gerhard Berger finished second for Benetton-Renault with a strong drive, while Olivier Panis secured an impressive podium for the Prost-Mugen Honda team with third place.

Michael Schumacher's championship challenge suffered an early setback when he crashed out while running third, eliminating the Ferrari from contention and handing Villeneuve a crucial early advantage. The victory established Villeneuve as the championship favorite and showcased Williams' technical superiority when reliability held up. The result also demonstrated that 1997 would see a genuine title fight between Villeneuve and Schumacher, with both drivers showing the speed and aggression that would define their season-long battle.