French Grand Prix 1997 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Michael Schumacher claimed his third victory of 1997 at Magny-Cours, converting pole position into another commanding win for Ferrari at the French Grand Prix. Heinz-Harald Frentzen finished second for Williams after Jacques Villeneuve encountered problems, keeping some points on the board for the Anglo-German team. Eddie Irvine secured third place for Ferrari, giving the Scuderia their second double-podium finish of the season and underlining their growing competitiveness.

Villeneuve's difficult race, where he finished outside the points, allowed Schumacher to close the championship gap to just eight points with nine races remaining. The momentum had clearly shifted toward Ferrari, with Schumacher winning two of the last three races and looking increasingly comfortable in the F310B. Williams' reliability concerns and Villeneuve's inconsistency were beginning to make what had seemed like a straightforward championship fight look increasingly uncertain.