The exodus of technical staff to Ferrari, which had already involved reigning World Champion Michael Schumacher in 1996, continued in 1997 with technical director Ross Brawn and designer Rory Byrne leaving Briatore's team to join Maranello. The new B197, used by the Italian team during the 1997 season, was nonetheless a creation of Rory Byrne, who only left Flavio Briatore’s team after completing the design work on the new car, which was, in truth, a simple evolution of the previous B196 model. The role of technical director was then taken over by Pat Symonds, who had already been with Benetton as head of the research and development department. Nick Wirth was promoted to chief designer, tasked with developing the project inherited from Byrne, while Nikolas Tombazis continued in his role as head of aerodynamics.
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| BENETTON B197, Jean Alesi Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1997 |
The driver lineup remained unchanged, with Frenchman Jean Alesi and Austrian Gerhard Berger still entrusted with driving the Benetton single-seaters. During the season, young Austrian Alexander Wurz had the opportunity to make his Formula 1 debut at the wheel of a B197, replacing fellow countryman Berger for three Grands Prix while the latter was sidelined due to physical issues. The difficulties faced by the two drivers in pushing the previous B196 to its limits, a rather twitchy car designed specifically for Schumacher's driving style, were somewhat mitigated with the B197. Since it was directly derived from the B196, it retained almost unchanged the front section, only slightly streamlined, as well as the sidepods and engine cover, which featured softer, less boxy shapes. However, the aerodynamics within the sidepods were significantly revised, allowing for a better aerodynamic flow toward the rear of the car, aimed at correcting the excessive drag of the previous version that limited the performance of the powerful Renault V10 engine.
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| BENETTON B197, Jean Alesi Interlagos, Brazilian GP 1997 |
In 1997, Benetton again used the Renault RS9 V10 engine, a completely new unit with a wider V angle of 71° instead of the previous 67°, which allowed for a 27 mm reduction in engine height compared to the RS8 and a 14 mm lower center of gravity, while delivering 760 hp at 17,000 rpm. The new dimensions of the French V10 forced Benetton’s engineers to completely revise the rear end, including a fully redesigned suspension system. However, despite Tombazis’ efforts, the rear section of the B197 was bulkier compared to that of the Williams, another car using the Renault V10, and less performant. Despite the revamped rear, the car’s performance was not entirely satisfying, especially in qualifying, where the B197 struggled to bring the tires up to temperature. During longer runs, an unusual tire degradation was observed, resulting in a drop in performance. In practice, the B197 performed well only on very fast or particularly slow tracks, but struggled on mixed circuits, which made up the majority of the 1997 calendar.
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| BENETTON B197, Gerhard Berger A1 Ring, Austrian GP 1997 |
Its main issue lay in the new rear end, with the suspension system designed by Byrne before his move to Ferrari and subsequently developed by Wirth, and the aerodynamic section handled by Tombazis, who was also about to move to Maranello at the end of the season. Moreover, unlike Williams, which had designed a new gearbox and clutch unit to pair with the RS9 V10 (featuring a crankshaft positioned lower than the previous RS8), Benetton chose to keep using the previous gearbox, albeit modified and reverted to a six-speed configuration, sacrificing the seventh gear that had been used in 1996. The aerodynamic livery of the B197 still featured the classic white and light blue colors that had characterized Benetton cars for several seasons. However, the arrival of new minor sponsors and the return of Benetton Group’s branding made the livery a cluttered mix of logos and colors, lacking aesthetic appeal.
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| BENETTON B197, Alexander Wurtz Montréal, Canadian GP 1997 |
The B197 made its track debut during winter testing at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit, where Berger significantly improved on the lap times set by Alesi just a few months earlier during the final race of the '96 season, posting times in line with the competition and raising false expectations within the team. However, in the first race of the 1997 championship, it immediately became clear what the true performance of the car was: it proved slower than its main rivals, Williams-Renault and Ferrari, and on par with McLaren-Mercedes. Reliability turned out to be its real strength, allowing Alesi to claim five podium finishes, though never a win, and finish third in the drivers' standings at the end of the season. Berger, on the other hand, secured the team’s only victory of the 1997 season, and the last in both Benetton’s history and his own career, with a fantastic win at the Hockenheim circuit, where he beat Schumacher’s Ferrari and the home-favorite McLaren-Mercedes of Häkkinen. Berger ended the season fourth in the standings, 11 points behind his teammate, despite missing three Grands Prix during which the capable Wurz, who also claimed his first career podium at the British Grand Prix, stood in for him. Benetton finished third in the Constructors’ Championship with 67 points, achieving a total of one win, five second-place finishes, two third-place finishes, and two pole positions. The 1997 season would be the last in which Benetton achieved a noteworthy result before slipping into the midfield in the following four seasons of Formula 1.
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