This was the last Formula One car powered by Yamaha engines after the manufacturer's decision to withdraw from the sport at the end of the season.

[3] The year also marked the first full season for Tom Walkinshaw's outfit TWR in running the team, as the Scotsman had bought it from one of its founders, Jackie Oliver during 1996.

[4] After a disastrous start to the season which saw the cars almost fail to make the grid in Australia, the team improved, hiring John Barnard as Technical Director.

[6] Hill scored a point at Silverstone, but the highlight of the year came at the Hungarian GP, where he qualified third and led for most of the race.

The failure of a throttle linkage component saw him drop behind Jacques Villeneuve on the final lap, although second place was still a great success for the team.